Head Of Badanas Says 800 KPM Receives 10 Kg Rice Social Assistance In Merangin

Head of the National Food Agency Arief Prasetyo Adi. (Photo: Mery Handayani/VOI)

Head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas) Arief Prasetyo Adi said the 10-kilogram rice food aid symbolically distributed by President Joko Widodo in Merangin Regency, Jambi, targeted 800 beneficiary families (KPM).

"Today we are accompanying the President (Joko Widodo) to distribute rice food assistance to 800 KPM at the Bulog Pematang Kandis Warehouse, Bangko District, Merangin Regency, Jambi," Arief said as quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, April 3.

Arief said this after accompanying President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) while reviewing food stocks and rice food assistance at Perum Bulog Pematang Kandis Warehouse, Bangko District, Merangin Regency, Jambi.

According to Arief, President Joko Widodo's presence in Merangin Regency is to ensure that Government Rice Reserves (CBP) are distributed on target and evenly, including in areas far from urban areas.

"Today we witnessed for ourselves that the President is pleased to visit directly to several warehouses (Bulog). One of them today is in Merangin. Then tomorrow there will be in Bungo to ensure that our rice availability is sufficient," said Arief.

He said that currently the rice harvest in March reached 3.8 million tons, then in April the national total was 4.9 million tons, so the government's focus was on maintaining prices at the farmer level.

For this reason, said Arief, Bapanas has assigned Perum Bulog to absorb farmers' rice production so that rice food assistance and SPHP market operations can return to using domestic production.

"Parents are now starting to be quite large. The price of GKP (Penen Dry Tax) has started to fall, so our focus is on maintaining prices at the farmer level. This is because our farmers also need a fair cost of production plus margin," said Arief.

He also guarantees that the Government Rice Reserve (CBP) stock for the implementation of rice food assistance in 2024 will be secured and sufficient. As of April 2, 2024, rice stocks in Bulog reached 1.04 million tons.

Arief revealed, in addition to rice food assistance, his party continues to coordinate with ministries and institutions as well as local governments so that various strategic actions to control inflation continue, especially ahead of Eid al-Fitr.

He also encouraged the public to be able to shop wisely according to their needs and ensure that the wider community does not overspend rice exceeding normal needs.

"The government ensures that the availability of food is sufficient, so people don't have to worry and then shop more than reasonable. Shopping according to their needs," said Arief.

President Joko Widodo reviewed the availability of rice at the Bulog Pematang Kandis Warehouse Complex, Merangin Regency, Jambi, Wednesday as well as handing over food assistance in the form of rice to beneficiaries.

On this occasion, President Jokowi chatted with the public while ensuring that all KPMs had received 10 kg of rice food assistance.

"This is it, sir, have you received all of them 10 kilos? I received information that there have been three times, but there are also new ones, right?," said the President in his dialogue with the beneficiary community.

Jokowi said the food aid would continue until June 2024.

However, the sustainability of aid after June will depend on the availability of the state budget (APBN).

"After March, it will resume with April, May and June, with a budget note possible," concluded Jokowi.