"There is a two-month plan (for providing food assistance). It requires 180 thousand tons of rice per month, so in total, it will be 360 thousand tons. The plan is good, but the distribution method should be managed. We will arrange it,” he noted here on Wednesday.
To distribute rice assistance for June and July, Sulaiman remarked that the government will consider regional conditions, including giving priority to non-rice producing areas and regions where prices of the commodity are high.
For urban areas, the distribution of food assistance will be carried out earlier to help stabilize prices.
"In regions where prices are above the HPP (government purchase price), we disburse it per month. Meanwhile, in urban areas, we disburse it earlier," Sulaiman noted.
Meanwhile, areas with prices below the HPP may not receive social assistance earlier to prevent further losses for farmers.
"Do not disburse this social assistance earlier in places where prices are below the HPP. That will further destroy the farmers. Hence, we must be careful and wise in carrying out this plan,” he explained.
The National Food Agency (Bapanas) stated that rice assistance for the June-July 2025 period is ready to be distributed to 18.3 million beneficiaries.
"Yesterday afternoon, June 2, the President (Prabowo Subianto) instructed us to provide economic stimulus. There are several packages, including this rice assistance. This food assistance is provided to 18.3 million beneficiaries, each receiving 10 kilograms of rice for two months," the agency’s head, Arief Prasetyo Adi, stated.
Adi emphasized that food assistance will be distributed selectively to avoid causing a drop in the farmers' rice prices, targeting 18.3 million beneficiaries, of whom 16.5 million have already been verified by the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP).
However, he explained that specifically in eastern Indonesia, rice assistance will most likely be distributed all at once, with a two-month allocation in a single shipment.
"For certain regions, such as Papua, Maluku, and East Nusa Tenggara, it will be distributed at once,” he stated.
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Translator: Muhammad Harianto, Yashinta Difa
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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