Indonesia Assures Food Reserves Are Secure Amid Dry Season and El Niño Fears

Indonesia's National Food Agency (Bapanas) has confirmed that national food reserves, excluding rice, are adequate to meet demand during the upcoming dry season and potential El Niño conditions. Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman stated that preparations have been made well in advance, drawing on lessons from 2023.

As of July 8, government rice reserves held by Perum Bulog stood at 5.2 million tons. Regional food reserves at the provincial level reached 7,340 tons by the end of June, with an additional 13,150 tons distributed across 323 districts and cities.

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We have indeed prepared (food availability) long before facing El Nino. Previously, our experience in 2023, thank God, we passed it.

Strategic food stocks also include 188,000 tons of feed corn, being supplied to poultry farmers at economical prices through the Food Supply and Price Stabilization (SPHP) program. Additionally, there are 1,100 kiloliters of cooking oil and approximately 2,790 tons of consumption sugar stored by Bulog and ID Food. ID Food also maintains a stock of 38 tons of chicken meat.

For perishable commodities such as chili, red onions, and chicken eggs, Bapanas is confident that domestic production will regularly meet consumption needs, as current production exceeds demand. Projections show a surplus for chili, red onions, eggs, and chicken meat throughout the year. Minister Amran expressed optimism that food supplies will remain secure, particularly rice, through August and September, despite the dry season.

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If August to September is indeed the dry season. June is the beginning of the dry season. Then in July and August, God willing, our food will be safe, especially rice.