President Jokowi Calls Rice Imports Less Than 5 Percent Of National Needs

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) visited the Bulog Laende warehouse complex in Muna Regency, Southeast Sulawesi Province, Monday (13/5/2024). ANTARA/HO-Secretariat Vice President

MUNA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said that the realization of rice imports through Perum Bulog was less than 5 percent of the total national rice demand.

When visiting the Bulog Laende Warehouse Complex in Muna Regency, Southeast Sulawesi, President Jokowi explained that rice imports must be carried out in order to maintain stable rice prices at the consumer level.

"There is no five percent we have to import. Anyone from Vietnam, Thailand, where did they come from, sir? Cambodia, Pakistan, had to import from there. Because our population is now 280 million people, everyone wants to. Now that's not easy," said President Jokowi as quoted by ANTARA, Monday, May 13.

During the visit, the President ensured the availability and stability of national food supplies, as well as distributing food reserves to beneficiary families.

The Head of State ensures that the distribution of 10 kilograms of rice assistance every month for beneficiary families will continue until June, and is expected to be extended until December, depending on the availability of the State Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBN).

The President explained that the rice aid initiative was the government's response to the increase in rice prices due to global food inflation.

However, the price of rice in Indonesia should be grateful considering that there are other countries that have experienced an increase in rice by up to 50 percent.

On the other hand, the President admits that maintaining rice prices in Indonesia is not an easy task because it must consider the welfare of farmers and the affordability of prices for consumers.

"We keep the price of rice not easy. If the community is high, of course, women must (protes), but farmers are happy, because the price is going up high, you know. But if we can press the price, we can import a lot so that the price will be cheap, but these farmers lose," said the President.

Therefore, the distribution of 10 kilograms of rice is expected to ease the burden on the community affected by price increases.

As for now, based on the latest data in early May 2024, the realization of rice imports has reached 1.3 million tons from the total quota of 3.6 million tons.

Perum Bulog noted that rice demand in Indonesia in 2024 will reach 31.2 million tons, based on the national food balance prognosis for the period January to December 2024 which has been prepared by the National Food Agency (Bapanas).

This means that so far rice imports in Indonesia have only reached 4.1 percent of the total needs in Indonesia.