Buwas Ensures Safe National Rice Stocks Up To 1 Million Tons

Logistic Affairs Agency (Bulog) (doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The President Director of Logistic Affairs Agency (Bulog), Budi Waseso, ensures that the national rice stock is safe with a capacity of up to 1 million tons. This stock is sufficient to meet the needs of rice ahead of the month of Ramadan until Eid al-Fitr.

"After weeks of all the Logistic Affairs Agency (Bulog) Directors have gone to the fields to monitor and ensure the absorption of domestic farmers' production, as of today Bulog's rice stock has reached one million tons," said Budi Waseso in a written statement, Sunday, March 28.

The rice stock was obtained from the absorption of rice grains from farmers in the 2021 main harvest season which was carried out for almost a full month by the management of Perum Bulog. One million tons of national rice stock is the safe limit of the Government Rice Reserve (CBP).

Budi Waseso or who is usually called Buwas explained that the realization of the absorption carried out by Logistic Affairs Agency (Bulog) up to the end of March this year was higher than the two previous years.

As of March 26, 2021, Logistic Affairs Agency (Bulog) has absorbed more than 180,000 tons of rice production in the country from all over Indonesia.

Buwas said Bulog's daily absorption this year has reached an average of 10,000 tons per day. This number is expected to tend to increase again in the next few weeks.

On this occasion, he also questioned various oblique comments that considered Logistic Affairs Agency (Bulog) to be incapable of absorbing rice properly.

"Those who think that Logistic Affairs Agency (Bulog) is unable to absorb, what are the indicators? Let's talk using data and use a system of thinking, not fatalistic patterns. So seeing a problem must be comprehensive and interrelated. Don't jump the conclusion," he said.

Regarding the polemic in the mass media about the ban on rice imports, President Joko Widodo has emphasized that there will be no rice imports until June 2021. This statement was conveyed by the Head of State briefly and firmly.

Responding to this, Buwas said that Logistic Affairs Agency (Bulog) was ready to carry out the tasks mandated by the government. He also expressed his gratitude to the President for providing support in absorbing rice for the national food stock.

Previously, President Joko Widodo in a press statement disseminated directly through a live YouTube broadcast of the Presidential Secretariat on Friday (26/3) night, emphasized that the rice harvested by farmers will be absorbed by Logistic Affairs Agency (Bulog).

The President ensured that no imported rice would enter Indonesia until the middle of this year and Indonesia had not imported rice for nearly three years.