"I had instructed that starting from September 1, 2023, the government would distribute rice aid to the people. Bulog (state-owned logistics company) will be distributing some 210 thousand tons of rice aid per month," he said in Bogor District, West Java, on Monday.
Jokowi made the statement while reviewing the rice reserve stocks stored by Bulog in the company's warehouse in Dramaga area, Bogor District.
"Normally, our rice stock has been 1.2 million tons. We do not need to be worried since we currently have two million tons," he pointed out.
In addition to the warehouse in Bogor, the head of state has visited Bulog's rice warehouses in Jakarta and other regions to ensure that the people have sufficient stocks of rice.
"Currently, all countries are facing El Nino-induced drought. In Indonesia, only seven provinces are affected (by the heat phenomenon)," he remarked.
Earlier, on September 1, Deputy Minister of Agriculture Harvick Hasnul Qolbi said that Indonesia's rice production is witnessing a slowdown, with output falling by 1.2 million tons.
However, he affirmed that the country will not see a deficit since its total annual production of rice is still at approximately 30 million tons.
"El Nino has indeed resulted in a slowdown in (rice) production. Nevertheless, this can be managed," he stated.
He then appealed to the public to not harbor concerns about the slowdown, noting that the country still has sufficient stocks of rice.
Qolbi also stated that the Agriculture Ministry has prepared several measures focused on building food resilience for anticipating the El Nino heat phenomenon.
The measures include encouraging parties to expedite planting, upgrading, and rejuvenating agricultural equipment and selecting and prioritizing superior seeds that are more resistant to extreme weather, he elaborated.
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Translator: Andi F, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Tia Mutiasari
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