Nearing Ramadan, Bulog Ensures Rice Stock is Sufficient

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Towards Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr 2020, the National Logistics Agency (Bulog) ensures that the stock of rice in their warehouses is sufficient. At present, the rice stock in Bulog warehouses throughout Indonesia reaches 1.7 million tons.

"This is for the needs of Eid al-Fitr and Ramadan, although there has not been a harvest for the next one to two months," said Bulog President Director Budi Waseso while conducting a sudden inspection at the Jakarta Bulog Divre Warehouse in Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta, Thursday, February 27, 2020.

This year, the 1st of Ramadan will fall around April 24, 2020. Then, Eid al-Fitr a month later, around 23 or 24 May 2020. Throughout this period, Budi Waseso predicted Bulog will distribute approximately 500,000 tons of the 1.7 million available stocks.

To maintain the stabilization of rice prices, he said Bulog continued to implement the Medium Rice KPSH (Availability and Price Stabilization) Program.

Until yesterday, February 26, 2020, the realization of KPSH since January has reached 300,000 tons.

Budi said that the KPSH activities are carried out massively every day through retailers in traditional markets, modern retailers, to the network of Friends of Our Food House (RPK). "During 2019, we can withstand the increase of rice prices [because of the KPSH activities]," he said.

Bulog also distributed rice to the BPNT (Non-Cash Food Aid) Program. The distribution of BPNT rice is done through 'e-warong', Himbara agents (Agen Brilink and Agen 46), and also RPK. As of February 26, 2020, Bulog has distributed 43,000 tons of BPNT rice.

Fajar Pebrianto | Galuh Kurnia Ramadhani (Intern Translator)