Bulog Ensures 30 Thousand Tons Of Dry Grain Absorbed Per Day From Farmers

JAKARTA - President Director of Perum Bulog Bayu Krisnamurthi said that his party is currently extending the government's hand to absorb 30 thousand tons of harvested dry unhulled rice (GKP) per day at the farmer level for domestic rice procurement.

"Currently, with various efforts we are making, Bulog can absorb up to 30 thousand tons of GKP (dry rice harvest) every day," Bayu said in a statement in Jakarta, quoted from Antara, Thursday, May 2.

Bayu said that his party took advantage of the ongoing rice harvest momentum in several areas in the country to maximize absorption to ensure the availability of government rice reserves (CBP).

"Bulog as an extension of the government's hand moved quickly to absorb as much grain and rice as possible. This is done in order to increase food security through the fulfillment of national rice stocks sourced from domestic production," said Bayu.

He emphasized that his party is committed to optimally absorbing grain and domestic rice during this harvest period. For him, the fulfillment of government food reserves (CPP) through the absorption of grain and rice from within the country during the harvest season is the government's current priority.

"Year on year in April, our domestic absorption of grain/rice has been higher over the past 3 years, reaching 468 thousand tons of harvest-dry unhulled rice (GKP)," said Bayu.

He said that the absorption of GKP at the farmer level is currently increasing, when compared to the previous average of only under 20 thousand tons. Bulog is committed to optimally absorbing grain.

"In the future, we will continue to increase the absorption optimally," said Bayu.

Director of Supply Chain and Public Service of Perum Bulog Suyamto added that his party's strategy of absorbing grain from farmers carried out the Gabah pick-up Program in each production surplus working area as an effort to accelerate the absorption process of production results.

"In addition, we also continue to coordinate and synergize with farmer groups, milling units and procurement partners. Of course, we do this to achieve maximum absorption results at this harvest momentum," added Suyamto.

Furthermore, Suyamto emphasized that Bulog as a government food company tasked with absorbing and managing national food stocks seeks to be active by going directly to the harvest site.

Suyamto also emphasized that Bulog always synergizes with extortion business actors to absorb the products of grain and rice production in the country.

Meanwhile, Head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas) Arief Prasetyo Adi emphasized that his party always monitors Bulog's performance in the regions related to the progress of absorbing the yield of grain and rice in the country.

Arief emphasized that the absorption being carried out by Bulog is an effort to fulfill national food stocks in the present and future.

According to him, the momentum of the harvest should be maintained because in the first half it contributed up to 70 percent of the total national production, mainly in rice centers such as Central Java, West Java and East Java.

"This is also the attention of Mr. President Jokowi that the use of government rice reserves uses domestic production and minimizes imports as much as possible," explained Arief.