National rice production is projected to be 5–10 percent higher than the previous year due to the accelerated harvest timeline.
“While the nationwide harvest usually begins in March, this year it is expected to start in February and continue through April with higher projected yields,” Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan remarked in Jakarta on Monday.
Speaking after a coordination meeting, he emphasized that this surplus has prompted the government to expand storage facilities, as current state-run logistics company Bulog warehouse capacity remains suboptimal.
President Prabowo Subianto has ordered the construction of approximately 100 new warehouses for Bulog, with the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) set to help expedite the process.
Hasan underlined the decision to mobilize the Red and White Village Cooperatives (KDMP) to serve as local custodians and distributors of rice across various regions.
“Our strategies involve building more Bulog warehouses and utilizing village cooperatives as vital links in the storage and distribution chains,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Minister of Cooperatives Ferry Juliantono reported that infrastructure is being developed for 26,000 of the more than 80,000 KDMPs established nationwide.
“The development is ongoing and projected to be completed by April, with an inventory of land currently being finalized for construction sites,” Juliantono said.
As a flagship initiative of President Prabowo, the KDMP program aims to achieve 13 core objectives, including rural empowerment, job creation, and poverty alleviation.
The program is also designed to stabilize inflation and improve farmers' exchange rates by ensuring better access to essential commodities.
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Translator: Aria Ananda, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Arie Novarina
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