Head Of Badanas Encourages Acceleration Of SPHP And Commercial Rice Conversion To Packaged 5 Kilograms

Head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas) Arief Prasetyo Adi. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

Head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas) Arief Prasetyo Adi said that his party was pushing for the acceleration of conversion of rice from both the Supply Stabilization and Food Price (SPHP) and commercial programs into 5 kilograms (kg).

"Now what we are accelerating is printing 5 kg of packaged rice and then sending it to the market, that's just simple, both SPHP and commercial," said Arief in a statement in Jakarta, quoted from Antara, Monday, February 13.

Arief said that his party together with related ministries and institutions had been given President Joko Widodo's direction to move quickly to overcome the condition of national rice.

He also admitted that he received an order from President Jokowi to ensure that the stock of 5 kg packaged rice in modern retail is available so that people can shop for rice calmly and wisely as needed.

"For that, the President has ordered that everyone be converted to 5 kg of rice, then immediately send it to traditional markets, modern retail markets. So, all elements of the national rice ecosystem, starting from rice pangolins, traders including retail, BUMN, and BUMD, we will print it to 5 kg, we will accelerate it," said Arief.

In addition, Arief said that President Jokowi also ordered Bapanas to address the Cipinang Rice Main Market (PIBC) which has a large stock of rice, while in modern retail it is very small.

"I was also ordered to clean up the Cipinang one, because there are a lot of stock here but in the modern retail market a little," said Arief.

He explained that the commercial rice conversion will be carried out by PT Food Station, while to convert the SPHP program rice to 5 kg packaging, Bulog will do it.

"For the commercial ones, the Food Station will work with other rice pangolins. Then for the SPHP, Bulog will also be assisted by friends who have rebagging (repackage)," explained Arief.

Arief said that 200 thousand tons of commercial rice to be converted to 5 kg has been prepared. Especially for Jakarta, he said, according to a request from the Acting Governor of DKI Jakarta and the President Director of Food Station, 50 thousand tons were given.

He said the government's intervention program for the Cipinang Rice Main Market (PIBC) had been carried out since 2023 and continued until this year.

After implementing it, said Arief, the medium rice price trend (IR 64 III) in PIBC began to decline gradually. As of February 9, the price of medium rice (IR 64 III) recorded on PIBC was IDR 10,655 per kg with a total rice stock of 34,590 tons.

So what the National Food Agency is doing is providing a balance between upstream, middle and downstream. Especially for downstream ones, because the price is high, we are discussing this and preparing it immediately.

Arief added that regarding the 22 million beneficiary families (KPM) of people who are categorized as underprivileged, they will be covered with 10 kg of free rice food assistance.

"This is proof that the government is fair. This rice food aid will more or less affect the withdrawal from retail rice demand," said Arief.