In a press conference on Thursday, the ministry’s Director General of Domestic Trade, Iqbal Shoffan Shofwan, said that national stocks of basic necessities such as eggs, cooking oil, chilies, and broiler chicken are sufficient.
However, the government is facing a major concern related to weather conditions, particularly in February and March 2026.
Data from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) indicate that regions such as Sulawesi and Papua are expected to experience high rainfall, which could potentially hamper distribution channels.
“We agreed earlier that all distributors, including state-owned food companies such as Bulog and ID FOOD, have launched the distribution of basic necessities to the regions at the beginning of this February,” Shofwan said.
His office is also coordinating with the Ministry of Transportation to ensure the readiness of port services, including the availability of containers and the smooth flow of logistics.
According to him, this anticipatory measure is aimed at maintaining the stability of supply and prices of basic necessities during the National Religious Holidays period, particularly Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr.
Ramadan is predicted to fall from February 18 to March 19, followed by Eid al-Fitr the next day.
“So, when the rainy season occurs in February and March, the goods will have already arrived at their destinations,” he said.
In addition, the Ministry of Trade routinely coordinates with the National Food Agency (Bapanas), the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), the Ministry of Transportation, the Presidential Staff Office, state-owned food enterprises, and relevant associations to monitor the availability of basic necessities nationwide.
Beyond ensuring availability, the Ministry of Trade, together with other related ministries and institutions, is also working to maintain price stability in line with the Highest Retail Price (HET) and the Consumer Reference Purchase Price (HAP).
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Translator: Maria Cicilia G P, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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