Badanas Dismantles Causes Bulog To Buy Farmers' Grain Commercially

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

Head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas) Arief Prasetyo Adi opened his voice regarding the reason why Perum Bulog bought farmers' grain commercially.

He said that the mechanism for Bulog's absorption is now more flexible.

Arief also said that Bulog's absorption of grain and rice also took into account price conditions in the field.

"If the price of GKP (Dried Rice) is below Rp. 6,500 per kg, then Bulog must absorb it. If the price is above Rp. 6,500 per kg, then just let it absorb," he told reporters at the Coordinating Ministry for Food, Jakarta, Thursday, September 11.

For example, said Arief, the price of GKP in Lampung is at Rp6,200 per kg, so Bulog is obliged to buy it at a price of Rp6,500 per kg. While in East Java the price is at the level of Rp7,200 to Rp7,400 per kg, Bulog does not need to buy it.

"No (need to buy). Because if Bulog goes in and buys, the price will go up, then the HET doesn't come in. But if for example the price is below, then Bulog must buy. Because the president's order is Rp. 6,500 GKP," he explained.

Arief said that in principle, Bulog absorbs to help prices at the farm level are maintained, instead of helping rice prices at the consumer level get out of control.

Furthermore, Arief said, large companies with more advanced capital and technology can buy up to IDR 8,000 per kg of unhulled rice.

However, he continued, this condition risks pushing rice prices beyond the highest retail price (HET).

For example, if someone buys Rp. 7,000 GKP of unhulled rice, Rp. 7,200, Rp. 7,400, Rp. 8,000, then the HET will not be achieved. So, who usually buys Rp. 8,000 GKP? A big producer, "he said.

"Why can big ones buy that much? Because it's efficient. The factory is efficient, the engine is good, the capital is big. So that's not allowed," he continued.

Previously, Perum Bulog opened its voice regarding the issue of stopping the purchase of grain and rice produced by domestic farmers.

Bulog ensures that they continue to buy grain and rice from farmers through commercial schemes.

Director of Procurement of Perum Bulog Prihasto Setyanto said that his party carried out the absorption of grain and rice according to the government's assignment.

This year, he continued, based on Presidential Instruction No. 6 of 2025, Bulog was tasked with holding 3 million tons of Government Rice Reserves (CBP) equivalent to rice, and currently this target has been achieved.

"In principle, for CBP Bulog, it works based on regulations and assignments given by the Government. But apart from that, Bulog continues to absorb grain and rice through commercial schemes," he said in an official statement, Thursday, September 11.

In this scheme, continued Prihasto, Bulog never stops absorption, but the mechanism is adjusted to sales needs.

"Both in terms of type, quality, and quantum," said Prihasto.

Dia bilang, Bulog juga mengoperasikan Sentra Penggilingan Padi (SPP) yang tersebar di 10 wilayah di seluruh Indonesia yang terus menyerap gabah sesuai standar kualitas untuk menghasilkan beras premium maupun beras sesuai preferensi konsumen dan kebutuhan pasar.

Adapun lokasi SPP tersebut berada di Subang, Karawang, Sragen, Kendal, Bandar Lampung, Bojonegoro, Banyuwangi, Magetan, Jember, dan Sumbawa.

“Dengan demikian, dapat kami tegaskan bahwa Bulog masih melakukan penyerapan gabah maupun beras. Perbedaannya hanya terletak pada skema CBP mengikuti regulasi pemerintah, sedangkan komersial menyesuaikan dinamika dan kebutuhan pasar,” jelasnya.

He said Bulog also operates the Rice Milling Center (SPP) spread across 10 regions throughout Indonesia that continue to absorb grain according to quality standards to produce premium rice and rice according to consumer preferences and market needs.

The SPP locations are in Subang, Karawang, Sragen, Kendal, Bandar Lampung, Bojonegoro, Banyuwangi, Magetan, Jember, and Sumbawa.

"Thus, we can emphasize that Bulog is still absorbing grain and rice. The difference lies only in the CBP scheme following government regulations, while commercially adjusts the dynamics and needs of the market," he explained.