Head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas) Arief Prasetyo Adi said the government was still considering rice exports. Because he assessed that rice reserves currently have not reached 31 million tons. He revealed this when he participated in the national radio interactive dialogue in Jakarta, recently.
"If we export rice, we really need to think several times. This is because if our rice production can be more than 33 million tons, that can only be said to be secured. Meanwhile, we need time to strengthen the technical irrigation channel, rice milling plant to dryer," he said.
"So as long as our rice production is not above 31 million to 33 million tons, we still need government food reserves," he said again.
Moreover, it is estimated that in the next two or three months, rice prices will increase, so rice reserves are needed to suppress the increase.
"We need to keep stock because in the next two or three months, rice prices will start to rise. The trend is because production usually starts to decline. This is a challenge, as irrigation channels are repaired, the rice production graph can be flatter, not significantly reduced by the end of the year," said Arief.
The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) noted that the peak of the harvest had occurred in April 2025 with a rice score of 5.3 million tons. Furthermore, monthly rice production in May and June was 2.63 million tons and 2.22 million tons, respectively. Then, the total rice production this year is estimated to reach 32.29 million tons.
"Indeed, usually in November, December, January, February, rice production is below monthly consumption, so it is the most correct thing is what we have done in the last two years. We are preparing government food reserves. We store it in Bulog which we can use for intervention when prices and supplies fluctuate," said Arief.
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Arief also revealed that national rice production this year is relatively good so that the Logistics Affairs Agency (Bulog) has absorbed 2.1 million tons.
"When we talk about Indonesian rice today, we are indeed grateful because the production is good. This means, until June, we predict that there will be sufficient excesses so that in the first semester we all prepare stocks. Domestic production absorption has entered Bulog equivalent to rice 2.1 million tons," he explained.
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