DistantNews
Support us
Serang Regent Distributes Food Aid as Beneficiary Numbers Triple
🇮🇩 Indonesia /Economy & Trade

Serang Regent Distributes Food Aid as Beneficiary Numbers Triple

From CNN Indonesia · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • The Regent of Serang distributed 89 tons of rice and 17,984 liters of cooking oil to underprivileged residents.
  • The number of beneficiaries for government food reserves in Serang Regency has nearly tripled, reaching approximately 199,000 people in 2026.
  • This increased aid is crucial for residents, especially farmers facing crop failure due to 833 hectares of failed harvests.

The Regent of Serang, Ratu Rachmatuzakiyah, symbolically distributed 89 tons of rice and 17,984 liters of cooking oil to low-income residents in Bojonegara District. This aid comes from the National Food Agency (Bapanas) and targets households in desiles 1 through 5.

In 2025, there were 65,000 beneficiaries for this food aid, but this year there is an increase of almost three times, to approximately 199,000 beneficiaries.

— Ratu ZakiyahThe Regent of Serang explaining the significant increase in beneficiaries for government food aid.

Regent Ratu Zakiyah expressed gratitude to President Prabowo Subianto, Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan, and Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman for approving a significant increase in the government's food reserve quota for Serang Regency. "In 2025, there were 65,000 beneficiaries for this food aid, but this year there is an increase of almost three times, to approximately 199,000 beneficiaries," she stated after the handover ceremony.

The food assistance is particularly vital for the community, especially farmers who experienced crop failure across 833 hectares of rice fields. "Therefore, we believe that what the central government provides is very beneficial for the residents, especially since 833 hectares of our rice fields failed to yield crops," the Regent added.

Therefore, we believe that what the central government provides is very beneficial for the residents, especially since 833 hectares of our rice fields failed to yield crops.

— Ratu ZakiyahThe Regent of Serang highlighting the importance of the aid for the community, particularly farmers affected by crop failure.

The distribution, initially planned for March, was delayed due to rising costs for packaging materials, specifically plastic, impacted by global events like the conflict in the Middle East. The Head of the Serang Regency Food Security and Agriculture Agency, Suhardjo, explained that the plastic tender winner withdrew due to the price surge. He also noted that the number of beneficiaries in 2026, totaling 199,467, is a substantial increase from the 64,255 recipients in 2025, a result of negotiations by the Regent following hydrometeorological disasters.

However, because of the constraints caused by the war in the Middle East, the price of plastic pellets surged. As a result, the plastic tender winner resigned.

— SuhardjoThe Head of the Serang Regency Food Security and Agriculture Agency explaining the delay in aid distribution due to rising packaging material costs.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by CNN Indonesia in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog