Coordinating Minister Zulhas: Bulog Needs A New Warehouse To Absorb Farmer's Harvesting Products During Grand Panen

Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan (Zulhas). (Doc. Ist)

Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan (Zulhas) said that the rice harvest period will soon enter. However, Bulog's warehouse is now full so it needs to add new warehouses.

Zulhas said the harvest season itself will take place from February, March, and April 2025. Where, Bulog received an assignment to absorb as much as 3 million tons of rice as farmers' harvest.

"There are new challenges but this is a good challenge. It needs a warehouse, this warehouse is full, so if you want to buy another 3 million, you have to look for a new warehouse. Of course, it needs to be supported by the regent and governor," he said in an official statement, Sunday, January 26.

Zulhas also suggested that the rice currently stored in Bulog's warehouse should be issued. Because, if the rice that has been stored for a long time, the quality has the potential to decrease.

"The two rice heads enter (the warehouse) in January or June 2024 for a year. It must also be distributed because the quality can go down and can't be eaten anymore," he explained.

Furthermore, Zulhas said that currently there are many rice reserves in Bulog.

"There are so many stocks," he said.

Previously, the Head of the National Food Agency (NFA) Arief Prasetyo Adi said that Perum Bulog was assigned to focus on absorbing up to 3 million tons of harvest equivalent to rice. This reduction increased from the previous 2.5 million tons.

Furthermore, Arief said that the assignment of 3 million tons is to absorb more because it is predicted that the current production of the harvest will increase.

"In that extortion, the harvest in the first semester is the biggest. So you can't lose the momentum of the harvest. The best is that Bulog absorbs in the first semester. This is because Bulog absorption during the main harvest period will maintain price stability at the farmer level and of course the Farmer's Exchange Rate (NTP) will be good," said Arief.

Historically, in the realization of rice procurement by Bulog in 2024, of the total achievement of 1.266 million tons, 727,000 tons or 57.4 percent were absorbed during the first semester. The peak of absorption was in May with 393,000 tons and April at 224,000 tons.

Meanwhile, for 2025, the projected monthly rice production will peak in March. According to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the estimated figure can reach up to 5.20 million tons. Of course, this production escalation must be addressed with maximum absorption by Bulog.