Badanas Boss Calls Panen Raya A Strategic Momentum To Strengthen National Food Stock

Head of Badanas Arief Prasetyo Adi (Photo: Doc. VOI)

Head of the National Food Agency (NFA) Arief Prasetyo Adi emphasized the importance of optimizing the main harvest which will take place in the next 2-3 months as a momentum to strengthen national food security. This is in line with the food self-sufficiency spirit promoted by President Prabowo Subianto,

The big harvest is a strategic momentum to strengthen national food stocks. Therefore, Bulog must be able to maximize the absorption of domestic farmers' crops during the main harvest period, of course by maintaining the quality of the rice received so that it is in accordance with the established standards, especially regarding water levels," said Arief quoting a written statement, Sunday, January 5.

Arief emphasized that the success of domestic rice absorption has not only had an impact on strengthening quality Government Rice Reserve (CBP) stocks, but has also become a concrete step in supporting the welfare of farmers.

"Moreover, we want to stop importing rice in 2025. So it is very important that Bulog maintains the quality of grain and rice. Water levels must be properly maintained. This is for the sake of quality. We have to check it really," he asked.

Arief added, based on the Limited Cabinet Meeting chaired by President Prabowo Subianto on December 30, 2024, the government decided to adjust the Government Purchase Price (HPP) of unhulled rice from IDR 6,000 per kilogram (kg) to IDR 6,500 per kg.

"With that, Bulog must ensure that the absorption process is carried out at a good price according to the HPP set by the government, so that all farmers get fair benefits from their hard work and keep the spirit for further production," he added.

In addition, the Head of NFA also asked Bulog to continue to improve efficiency in the rice management and distribution process. The quality is non-negotiable. The absorbed rice must be ensured according to quality standards, so that it can be directly channeled to people who need it or stored properly in Bulog warehouses," explained Arief.

Bulog's efforts to carry out rice equivalent procurement sourced from local farmers' harvests, in 2024 have made impressive achievements. During 2022, the procurement of domestic rice equivalents is still around 994 thousand tons. Then in 2023 it increased to 1.066 million tons.

The latest data, throughout 2024 the figure has skyrocketed 26.7 percent more than 2 years ago, until 1.26 million tons were reached. This achievement consists of CBP of 831 thousand tons and commercial rice of 434 thousand tons.

On the same occasion, Arief emphasized the need for strong synergy between local governments and Bulog in coordinating the absorption of crops. This synergy is important to ensure equitable distribution and avoid stock buildup in a certain area.

"Our inflation in 2024, is the best since 1958. Now Bulog has taken part in this. So the name Bulog is also fragrant. To this day food can be stable, it's because our stock is strong," said Arief.

"So all parties, both central, regional, and related governments, must work together to keep the national food ecosystem stable. This is our shared responsibility in realizing food sovereignty in Indonesia," he said.

Meanwhile, based on data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), it is projected that there will be an increase in rice production in early 2025 which exceeds the same period in 2024. The estimated rice production in January 2025 is reported to reach 1.2 million tons and in February 2025 it could be 2.08 million tons.

This figure when compared to January and February 2024 which were at 0.87 million tons and 1.39 million tons, shows a surplus of 1.02 million tons. From that, the estimated rice harvest can start at the end of February to May.

In today's visit, information was obtained that Perum Bulog for the Central Java Region has 2 Padi Milling Center (SPP) units located in Sragen and Kendal. There it subsided by 3 units of silo with a capacity of 12 thousand tons. In addition, there are also distributors with a capacity of 120 tons per day. Meanwhile, the total rice equivalent procurement target in Central Java this year is in the range of 350 thousand tons.