Bulog President Director Ahmad Rizal Ramdhani said regional units had been instructed to maintain emergency rice stocks of at least 20 tonnes and up to 50 tonnes at all airports and ports in disaster-prone areas to ensure rapid deployment when needed.
He said the move was designed to anticipate sudden demand for air- or sea-lifted aid to isolated districts such as Bener Meriah, Takengon, Agam and Central Tapanuli, where road access has been cut by prolonged and severe flooding.
By placing stocks at transport hubs, Bulog can bypass distant warehouses and move supplies faster, enabling a more responsive emergency distribution for communities affected by disasters across Sumatra, Rizal said.
Bulog has mandated that standby stocks be replenished daily and not fall below 20 tonnes, ensuring urgent requests can be met without major logistical bottlenecks during the national disaster response period.
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Rizal said the standby policy had been implemented since Thursday, Dec. 11, after Bulog assessed that emergency operations could be prolonged due to extensive infrastructure damage in several affected areas.
He added that widespread road closures have constrained land transport, making air and sea routes the primary channels for delivering food assistance efficiently to flood-hit communities.
Beyond rice, Bulog is also securing supplies of cooking oil and sugar for public kitchens, aligning with requests from local governments responding to floods and landslides.
Rizal said he had directed all regional and branch heads, down to warehouse managers, to release rice and other staples for community kitchens immediately upon requests from local authorities.
He said the distribution of kitchen logistics is carried out as a rapid response, without lengthy administrative procedures, to ensure evacuees continue to receive adequate food during emergencies.
Rizal said Bulog does not wait for formal approvals from the National Food Agency before acting, prioritizing speed so rice, oil and sugar reach community kitchens as quickly as possible.
Bulog currently holds national rice stocks of about 3.7 million tonnes, with significant reserves in Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra to safeguard broader food security.
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Rizal said stocks stand at around 79,000 tonnes in Aceh, 29,000 tonnes in North Sumatra and 7,000 tonnes in West Sumatra.
Bulog plans to add a further 20,000 to 30,000 tonnes in West Sumatra to strengthen reserves for continued flood and landslide response in the province.
He said coordination with the military, police and disaster agencies has helped keep logistics flowing despite damaged infrastructure across Sumatra.
So far, Rizal said, there have been no complaints over logistics, crediting close cooperation among Bulog, the armed forces, police and disaster authorities in reaching affected areas.
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Translator: Muhammad Harianto, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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