Ministry of Agriculture Partners with Ministry of Agriculture and Bulog to Boost Rice Exports to Saudi Arabia

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (Kemenhaj) has partnered with the Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) and Perum Bulog to encourage the export of rice to Saudi Arabia to meet the consumption needs of Indonesian prospective pilgrims.

"The fulfillment of the consumption of pilgrims cannot be done in part. A strong synergy is needed with related ministries and institutions, so that the policies that are aligned and the supply chain of Hajj food can be strengthened," said Director General of Development of Hajj and Umrah Economic Ecosystems (PE2HU) of the Ministry of Hajj Jaenal Effendi, reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, January 27.

Jaenal Effendi emphasized that the utilization of domestically produced rice is now a top priority to strengthen the national hajj economic ecosystem. Indonesia has time to stop relying on the supply of rice from other countries, such as Vietnam and Thailand, for the consumption of pilgrims.

Based on the projection of the Directorate General of PE2HU Kemenhaj, the rice requirement for 205,420 prospective and Hajj officers in the 1447 Hijriah/2026 season reached around 3,913 tons. This figure is calculated from the assumption of consumption of 150 grams per serving for 127 meals during the operational period of Hajj.

The Directorate General of PE2HU of the Ministry of Home Affairs also agreed on a joint commitment with various parties to strive for the utilization of national rice.

Perum Bulog will calculate the total rice needs and prepare supplies according to the established quality standards, including premium rice with a maximum breakage rate of five percent.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture will provide support from the regulatory side to facilitate the rice export process.

Currently, the price of premium rice from a number of competing countries is still below the price of Indonesian rice, so it is necessary to support and facilitate policies so that national products can compete and be accepted in the Hajj consumption market.

Jaenal added that the current condition of rice self-sufficiency is a golden opportunity. During the main challenge of using local rice is the price factor. However, with the strengthening of the haj economic ecosystem, the government is optimistic that national products can have strong competitiveness.

Meanwhile, the Director of Partnership Facilitation of the Ministry of Manpower, Tri Hidayatno, said that meeting this consumption need is part of building a new legacy.

"Through this synergy, we bridge so that the turnover of the Hajj economy, which is very large, can be felt directly by business actors and manufacturers in the country," he said.

With planning that starts early, the Directorate General of PE2HU is optimistic that in the upcoming hajj season, Indonesian prospective pilgrims can enjoy rice from rice produced by Indonesian farmers, which will also strengthen national food security and the economy.