Jokowi: Abundance Of Rice Stock, Enough Until Ramadan April 2024

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) ensures that the national rice stock is sufficient to face the fasting month of Ramadan, which is expected to take place from March to April 2024.

He made this statement on the sidelines of a gathering with customers of the Prosperous Family Economic Development Program (Mekaar) fostered by the Madani National Capital (PNM), after directly reviewing rice stocks in Bulog Warehouse, Cibitung, Bekasi, West Java.

"Yes, if the stock doesn't have a problem, we saw that the stock was abundant like that," said Jokowi, quoted by ANTARA, Friday, February 16.

According to the President, the current government's concern is how to distribute rice well and evenly to the market, to the community.

"The most important thing is how to distribute it well and get to the market, to the public, to the supermarket everything can be available. It's not an easy thing (case)," he said.

Nevertheless, Jokowi said that efforts to prepare rice stocks and distributions, especially ahead of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, are routines that the government has been working on every year so that it will not be a serious problem.

He also emphasized that the government will prepare stocks for various types of rice, from medium to premium.

"Yes, we have prepared all the stock," he said.

Previously, President Jokowi responded to the issue of rising rice prices which he said were because rice harvest production from the regions had not yet entered the Cipinang Rice Main Market.

In addition, the increase in rice prices was also caused by disrupted distribution, one of which was influenced by tidal flooding that hit Demak and Grobogan districts in Central Java.

Based on the official website of the Cipinang Rice Main Market, rice stocks as of February 15, 2024 reached 33,525 tons with an average price of Rp. 13,815 per kilogram.

Meanwhile, Perum Bulog noted that currently the rice stock reaches 1.18 million tons which is ensured safe to meet the national rice needs until April 2024.