"It should be noted that the current rice stock of around 3.5 million tons constitutes the highest figure ever registered since 1969," he remarked during a press conference on national rice production in Jakarta on Monday.
Sulaiman highlighted that the current rice stock exceeds the amount recorded during the food self-sufficiency era in 1984, when the government held 2,402,899 tons of rice reserves for a population of only about 100 million.
In contrast, Indonesia's current population has surpassed 280 million.
The minister also highlighted that in May last year, the national rice stock was pegged at only 1,467,626 tons.
He attributed the new record to President Prabowo Subianto's strong support for optimizing agricultural areas, intensifying water pumping across Java Island, and rehabilitating irrigation systems outside Java.
He stated that all these measures have led to a significant increase in the national production rate of rice, adding that the daily absorption of unhusked rice produced by local farmers has reached 50 thousand tons.
However, Sulaiman stressed the importance of absorbing only high-quality rice to ensure smooth procurement.
"Paying attention to quality is paramount," he affirmed.
The minister then expressed optimism that the national rice stock could rise further to four million tons within the next 15 to 20 days.
He highlighted that this favorable trend demonstrates that the Indonesian government has been collaborating with the public and that the agriculture sector stands firm as the main pillar of national food security.
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Translator: Muhammad H, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Primayanti
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