Bapanas Ensures Rice Stock Sufficient Ahead of Ramadan

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas), Arief Prasetyo Adi, confirmed that Indonesia’s rice stock is safe leading up to Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr 2024. Arief also claimed that rice stocks will increase along with the harvest season in March.

"We want to reiterate once again that the rice stock is sufficient ahead of Ramadan on March 9-10," said Arief on Wednesday, Feb. 28.

According to estimations issued by Statistics Indonesia or BPS, the harvest in several regions will occur in March 2024. In fact, he claimed, several local farmers have also started harvesting this week.

"This March harvest will produce 3.5 million tons (of rice)," said Arief.

Meanwhile, Arief believed that rice consumption during Ramadan until Eid al-Fitr will increase by 20 to 30 percent. However, he ensured that rice stocks would remain safe.

The government was also trying to maintain the availability of rice on the market. One of the efforts is to flood the market with rice under the food supply and price stabilization (SPHP) program.

Arief said that rice stock was evenly distributed throughout Indonesia. Currently, he continued, ships delivering Bulog rice do not only dock at large ports such as Tanjung Priok, Tanjung Mas, and Tanjung Perak.

"There are 12,000 tons of rice today in North Sulawesi and NTT, as well as in Patimba, Gadung, Aceh," he said. Arief also confirmed that the police would assist in monitoring the distribution of rice to the market.

YOHANES MAHARSO JOHARSOYO

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