"This rice assistance aims to stabilize food supply and prices by increasing market access for producers and for the community as consumers," he said here on Sunday.
Mahyeldi said this when releasing the rice aid distribution after the commemoration of West Sumatra's 78th anniversary.
He explained that the provincial government has carried out anticipatory steps to stabilize food supply and prices at the community level, such as the distribution of SPHP (Food Supply and Price Stabilization) rice and the government rice reserve, and holding the Cheap Food Movement (GPM).
SPHP is a subsidized rice brand provided by the government through the National Food Agency and distributed by the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) for all levels of society. The highest retail price of SPHP rice is Rp11,500/kg.
SPHP rice is the government's effort to reduce rice prices so that all people can meet their food needs at affordable prices.
So far, the government has distributed SPHP rice to both traditional and modern markets.
In West Sumatra, the SPHP rice distribution has reached 80 percent, or 12,292 tons out of the targeted 15,391 tons of rice.
In addition to the SPHP rice, the government has distributed rice assistance for beneficiary families, 10 kg per month, from September to November.
The data of beneficiary families who receive assistance is recorded in the Integrated Social Welfare Data owned by the Ministry of Social Affairs.
The assistance is expected to help the poor community living in rural areas meet their daily needs for three months.
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Translator: Miko E, Kenzu
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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