Government Adds Rice Aid for 33 Million Recipients Facing Drought

JAKARTA - The government has decided to add 10 kilograms (kg) of rice food assistance for 33.244 million recipients for three months to maintain people's purchasing power in the midst of the dry season and global food price turmoil.

Coordinating Minister for Food and Agriculture Zulkifli Hasan said the decision to distribute rice assistance was the result of President Prabowo Subianto's instructions that basic necessities should not burden the community.

"Therefore, rice assistance or food assistance, yes, we will add three months," said Zulhas after the Limited Coordination Meeting on the Development of Food Commodity Prices in Jakarta, Tuesday, June 9, reported by ANTARA.

According to him, the 10 kg of rice food assistance will be directly distributed per month to 33.244 million recipients throughout Indonesia.

He said that the distribution of rice assistance was prioritized starting July 2026, while the next two months would be adjusted in coordination between the Ministry of Agriculture and Perum Bulog.

"That's three times or for three months. July one month, the other two months, the Minister of Agriculture together with Bulog will determine when it will be," he said.

The government estimates the rice needs for the additional food assistance program reach around 1 million tons.

Zulhas said the government's rice stock, which currently reaches around 5.2 million tons, is still sufficient to support the distribution of food assistance.

"Roughly one million tons. So if our stock is 5.2 million tons, it will be reduced by one million," he said.

Additional food assistance is considered necessary to keep vulnerable people from being affected by the trend of weakening the rupiah exchange rate against the US dollar and other economic pressures.

He explained that the data of food assistance recipients would be prepared together with the Ministry of Social Affairs, while the implementation of the program was carried out by the ministry.

"The data will be with the Minister of Social Affairs, with Bappenas, the budget, the implementation of the Minister of Social Affairs," said Zulhas.

The government ensures that the current national food supply is still safe based on reports from related ministries and agencies as well as field checks.

The additional food assistance is expected to be a social cushion to protect vulnerable groups from the impact of food price fluctuations.