National Food Agency (Bapanas) Head Arief Prasetyo Adi made the remarks after Commission IV of parliament reported that 1,200 tons of rice stored at a Bulog warehouse in Tabahawa, North Maluku, was deemed unsuitable for consumption.
“Rice given to the public must be of good quality, with no excuses,” Arief told reporters at the Coordinating Ministry for Food Affairs in Jakarta.
“Bulog is tasked with distributing food aid, and that aid must be proper,” he added.
He said Bulog, the state logistics agency, was also responsible for stabilizing food supply and prices, which required maintaining quality standards.
“There should be no poor-quality stock,” he added.
Arief said rice quality in warehouses depended on proper treatment and, if necessary, reprocessing.
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“Warehouses always have old stocks, new stocks, and some that need treatment. That’s normal. But what reaches consumers must be good and safe,” he said.
He noted that Bapanas carries out random inspections at warehouses together with Bulog representatives.
“There are around 1,580 warehouses. We’ve asked Bulog directors, branch heads, and regional heads to conduct checks at every facility,” he said.
Responding to questions about the slow distribution of older stocks, Arief said inflows and outflows had to match the harvest cycle. “The movement of goods must be balanced with production,” he explained.
He also underlined the need to strengthen existing food distribution channels and said Red and White Village Cooperatives could serve as a backbone.
“We need those channels. We must use the infrastructure already available,” Arief said.
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Translator: Nur, Azis Kurmala
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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