"That is what we decided earlier, including rice. Currently, our stock is 2 million tons, and we plan to bring it to a limited meeting with the President of Indonesia (Prabowo Subianto), with a minimum of 2.5 million tons," he said.
The minister made the remarks at a press conference after a limited coordination meeting on supporting national food security and fulfilling the government's food reserves for 2025 in Jakarta on Monday.
Hasan added that if the rice supply reaches 2.5 million tons, it would mean that farmers' absorption is strong, which would build public trust due to the large rice stock.
"If it reaches 2.5 million tons, it means the absorption from the farmers is strong, and the public will have confidence because the Bulog stock is large," he said.
He emphasized that augmenting government food reserves is important for achieving food self-sufficiency, which is the main priority of President Prabowo.
"We discussed the government's food reserves, and the main priority program of President Prabowo Subianto is food self-sufficiency. Therefore, government food reserves are important," Hasan added.
Earlier, head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas), Arief Prasetyo Adi, called for the acceleration of food self-sufficiency as a strategic step to ensure sustainable and independent domestic food supply.
This step is important to strengthen the nation's independence and implement President Prabowo's vision, which is outlined in the Asta Cita.
Adi also expressed optimism that by 2025, Indonesia will be able to fulfill its domestic food needs without relying on imports.
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Translator: Kuntum Khaira Riswan
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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