Jokowi Distributes Premium Rice To Klaten Residents, If The State Budget Allows It Will Continue To June

The public received food assistance in the form of 10 kg of rice at the Bulog Meger Warehouse, Klaten Regency, Central Java, Wednesday (31/1/2024). ANTARA/Aris Wasita

KLATEN - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) distributed food assistance to beneficiary families (KPM) in Klaten Regency, Central Java. "This will be given to you in January, February, March," he said in front of hundreds of beneficiaries at the Bulog Meger Warehouse, Klaten Regency, Central Java, as reported by Antara, Wednesday, January 31. After that, he said, food aid will be distributed for April, May, and June. "After June I will see the APBN again, if possible, it will continue. At least until June," he said. He said the rice distributed to beneficiaries was rice with premium quality. "Just check it until the house, I guarantee the rice is good and premium. We give this to 22 million recipients throughout the country," he said. On the same occasion, President Director of Perum Bulog Bayu Krisnamurthi said food assistance will continue during January, February, March and then April, May, June. In addition, the Food Supply and Price Stabilization (SPHP) program also continues. "It can be seen in traditional markets, in modern markets, in mini markets, everything is available and the president emphasized that the rice is good. This is an alternative ahead of the harvest," he said. Meanwhile, he said, the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) estimates that January-February Indonesia will experience a rice deficit of 2.7 million tons. Responding to this, he said, until now Bulog has compiled a rice importation plan. He said the importation had been arranged in such a way that it could enter Indonesia before harvest. "In areas where harvest occurs, imports will be stopped, but we also know that rice production only occurs in eleven provinces in Indonesia. There are areas that have been around the minus year or have no production, such as NTT, Eastern Indonesia," he said. Therefore, his party will direct some imports into areas that do not experience harvest so that they can immediately fill the needs of the people there. "So the aim of this food and SPHP assistance is to ease the supply pressure from rice to the community, especially people who need it the most. Importation has been carried out and it is scheduled that both from time and the rice import port will arrive. It is certain that it will not interfere with the harvest at the production center," he said.

Meanwhile, in the food assistance, each beneficiary family receives 10 kg/month of rice.