Bapanas Starts Disbursing Rice and Cooking Oil Assistance for 33.2 Million Recipients

JAKARTA - The government has begun distributing food assistance programs in the form of rice and cooking oil to low-income people.

The program run by the National Food Agency (Bapanas) together with Perum Bulog targets 33.2 million recipients of assistance throughout Indonesia.

Until the first week of March 2026, the realization of the distribution of assistance has reached 3,427 recipients.

As of March 9, the assistance that had been distributed was recorded at 68,540 kilograms of rice and 13,708 liters of cooking oil.

Director of Food Distribution and Reserves at Bapanas, Rachmi Widiriani, said the government would continue to accelerate the distribution of assistance, especially ahead of Eid al-Fitr 1447 Hijriah which is only 10 to 11 days away.

"Bapanas together with Bulog, as ordered by the President and the Head of Bapanas, are present for the community. Food assistance will continue to be distributed, especially ahead of Eid al-Fitr which the community will celebrate soon," said Rachmi in an official statement, Tuesday, March 10.

The distribution of food assistance has begun in a number of provinces, including North Sumatra, East Java, Bali, Jambi, Banten, and South Sulawesi.

In Madiun City, Acting Mayor of Madiun F. Bagus Panuntun appreciated the program because it was considered timely and beneficial for the community ahead of Eid.

"The assistance from Bapanas is 20 kilograms of rice and 4 liters of oil. Well, this is for how to maintain the stability of inflation in Madiun City. So this is very useful. The time is very right. Ten days before the Eid. Hopefully it can be used by the community," said Bagus.

Bapanas also encourages Bulog in all regions to immediately start distributing the rice and cooking oil food assistance program.

This program is part of the first quarter economic stimulus which is expected to maintain people's purchasing power and consumption.

Food assistance is considered capable of providing support for low-income people in meeting their daily consumption needs.

With the support of basic food needs from the government, people's spending burden can be reduced so that purchasing power is maintained.

Based on data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), household consumption is one of the main drivers of national economic growth.

Throughout 2025, Indonesia's economic growth was recorded at 5.11 percent, which was the highest achievement since 2023.

Meanwhile, on an annual basis, economic growth in the fourth quarter of 2025 reached 5.39 percent and became the highest fourth quarter achievement since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Separately, the Head of Bapanas who is also the Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman ensured that all administrative processes of the food assistance program had been completed and were ready to be distributed to the public.

"I have signed for 33.2 million people. This is the President's order to relieve the burden of our brothers and sisters in the holy month of Ramadan. The main thing is done. All people's needs must not stay overnight at my desk," said Amran.

The rice and cooking oil food assistance program requires an estimated budget of IDR 11.92 trillion which is allocated for 33.2 million recipients throughout Indonesia.

The five provinces with the largest number of recipients are West Java with 6,093,530 recipients, East Java with 5,638,478 recipients, Central Java with 5,071,126 recipients, North Sumatra with 1,756,846 recipients, and Banten with 1,298,597 recipients.

Each recipient of assistance receives 10 kilograms of rice and 2 liters of cooking oil for a one-month allocation.

With the distribution of two months at once, Bulog is estimated to distribute around 664,800 tons of rice and 132,900 kiloliters of cooking oil to the public.