Badanas Ensures Food Stock Is Safe To Face Eid

Head of the National Food Agency Arief Prasetyo Adi ensures that national food stocks are safe and under control to face the 2024 Eid Al-Adha National Religious Holiday (HBKN).

"Based on the projection of the food balance sheet that calculates the availability and needs of food, in general the national strategic staple food stock, we make sure it is safe and sufficient, especially anticipating the momentum of Eid al-Adha which will soon arrive," said Arief in an official statement, Tuesday, June 11.

Arief said the National Food Agency must ensure that food stocks are in a safe and sufficient condition even if there are El Nino and La Nina.

Furthermore, Arief revealed that one of the steps taken was to ensure that the Government Rice Reserve (CBP) stock in Bulog was always maintained above 1 million tons. As of June 7, 2024, the CBP stock in Bulog is 1.7 million tons.

"This is in line with President Joko Widodo's directives asking his staff to ensure that food stability is maintained and distributed evenly and affordablely for the community," he said.

Regarding the availability of ruminant meat, Arief ensured that the stock was sufficient for the community. Meanwhile, for live cows or livestock, he said he would hold a coordination meeting with stakeholders to identify the amount of distribution, so that efforts to Facilitate Food Distribution (FDP) can be carried out properly.

"Especially for facing the momentum of the holiday where the need for sacrificial animals increases, this will be meeting on Tuesday by our Deputy, but actually overall regarding beef and buffalo ruminant commodities, the conditions are safe," said Arief.

Arief said that reflecting on the experience from previous years which became a challenge was inter-regional movement. For example, Jakarta and Greater Bandung are usually supplied from Central Java and East Java.

"Well, the challenge of the previous year was that we took it from Nusa Tenggara, it was too much. So the issue was mostly and it would eventually be'reported' again. But at that time it was sought to be sold in Jakarta and its surroundings," he explained.

Meanwhile, ID FOOD President Director Sis Apik Wijayanto said that facing the upcoming Eid al-Adha, his party provided 1,300 cattle stocks, so that they could meet the needs of the community ahead of the holiday.

"We report it, currently it also has a stock of 280 tons (of beef) and then a livestock of 1,300 cows. So this is ready if people need it," said Sis Apik.