Starting September 2023, Families Vulnerable To Stunting Can Get Eggs Up To 10 Kg Of Rice

Head of the National Food Agency Arief Prasetyo Adi. (Photo: Doc. ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Head of the National Food Agency Arief Prasetyo Adi said that families who are vulnerable to stunting will receive rice, eggs, and chicken meat assistance for the next three months starting in September.

Arief explained that the assistance was a directive from President Joko Widodo, in addition to the assistance of 10 kilograms of rice for 21.3 million beneficiary families during the same period, namely September to November.

"The president said in September, adding chicken and eggs. 1 kilogram chicken and 16 eggs, for three months. Chicken and eggs for families are prone to stunting," said Arief, quoted from Antara, Thursday, August 31.

Arief explained that the rice and chicken and eggs assistance will be distributed to eight provinces to 1.4 million families vulnerable to stunting, based on BKKBN data.

Meanwhile, 10 kilograms of rice assistance for 21.3 million KPM based on data from the Ministry of Social Affairs will be distributed simultaneously on September 1.

"Immediately, so which one can be done, it will be done immediately. It's already packaged 10 kilograms, just distributed," he said.

Currently, the Bulog managed Government Rice Reserve (CBP) stock reaches 1.5 million to 1.6 million tons so that it is sufficient to allocate 10 kilograms of aid rice for 21.3 million KPM or 210,000 tons per month.

President Jokowi's decision to distribute the rice aid was aimed at controlling inflation through rice prices which contributed 0.38 percent in inflation in July 2023.

In the National Coordination Meeting for Inflation Control in 2023, the Head of State acknowledged that rice prices still increase by around 5-6 percent from normal prices, but must be watched out for so that inflation remains under control, one of which is through the food assistance.

He asked stakeholders such as Perum Bulog and local governments to use their budget to intervene in the market if rice prices were still unstable.

Jokowi hopes that these efforts can maintain the inflation rate, even decreasing by 2.5 percent by 2024.

"Don't let our inflation rise again because it will be very burdensome for the community," he said.