We have ordered the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) to absorb domestic (rice) production, so that the rice assistance and the SPHP (Food Supply and Price Stabilization Program) can use rice from the domestic harvest.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas) Arief Prasetyo Adi said he is optimistic that the government will continue the rice assistance program for 22 million beneficiary families with the start of the harvest period.

"We have ordered the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) to absorb domestic (rice) production so that the rice assistance and the SPHP (Food Supply and Price Stabilization Program) can use rice from the domestic harvest," he informed in a statement released by the agency here on Friday.

He said that currently, the rice harvest season has started, with 3.8 million tons of rice harvested in March 2024.

The national harvest is predicted to reach 4.9 million tons in April. Adi said that this harvest can supply domestic food stock to fulfill people's food needs.

However, it is necessary to maintain the government's purchase price (HPP) of harvested dry grain (GKP). This is to prevent GKP at the farmer level from dropping drastically during the harvest period, he said.

One of the steps taken by Bapanas to maintain prices at the farmer level is to allow Bulog to purchase GKP at Rp6 thousand per kg from the previous Rp5 thousand per kg.

Furthermore, Adi said that rice assistance is among the government's programs to maintain people's purchasing power and reduce inflation, and especially rice prices.

"The distribution of rice assistance to 22 million beneficiary families throughout Indonesia is always President Joko Widodo's concern in his working visit to the regions," he added.
As per Bapanas' records, the national realization under the food assistance program reached 641 thousand tons as of April 3, 2024.

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Translator: M Harianto, Kenzu
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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