Badanas Prepares Reserves For 12 Basic Food Commodities Ahead Of Ramadan And Eid Al-Fitr 2024

Photo: Doc. Antara

JAKARTA - The National Food Agency (Bapanas) has prepared a reserve of 12 staple food commodities ahead of the National Religious Holidays (HBKN) for Fasting and Eid al-Fitr 1445 Hijriah to ensure food adequacy and ease of access for the community.

"From the government's food reserves, these 12 commodities will indeed be released (with) aggressively ahead of Ramadan, to Ramadan, and Eid," said Bapanas Food Distribution and Reserve Director Rachmi Widiriani in an event entitled, "Prepared Ramadan, Conditional Price of Basic Materials" in Jakarta, quoted from Antara, Monday, March 4.

The 12 staple food commodities include rice, corn, soybeans, shallots, garlic, large chilies, cayenne pepper, beef/cash, broiler meat, broiler eggs, sugar, and cooking oil.

Referring to the results of the National Religious Holiday Coordination Meeting (HBKN) for Fasting and Eid al-Fitr 1445 Hijriah in Jakarta, Monday, Rachmi said that the central government had also encouraged all provincial, district and city governments to carry out the cheap food movement.

"So people can get or buy food where their area does GPM ( Cheap Food Movement)," he said.

Rachmi emphasized that commodity prices sold at GPM are controlled by the government, because they have involved food reserves and government partners, both from associations and SOEs.

"The price must be more affordable. It is to make it easier for people to get food, especially these 12 (commodities) ahead and during HBKM," said Rachmi.

In the National Religious Holiday Coordination Meeting (HBKN) of Fasting and Eid al-Fitr 1445 Hijriah, Head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas) Arief Prasetyo Adi conveyed the first thing that local governments had to do, namely the cheap food movement (GPM) in synergy with Perum Bulog and a number of food associations in each region.

The second thing that must be done is to synergize with the Regional Inflation Control Team (TPID). And the third is market price monitoring both in the main market, traditional markets and also in the modern retail market.

"So that we can both ensure that this price is true, not too high, because usually there is only the word ahead of Eid al-Fitr that the price has gone up," said Arif.