Jokowi Asks For Rice Stock To Be Improved, Food Agency Says Bulog Has Secured 1.3 Million Tons

Head of the National Food Agency Arief Prasetyo Adi. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

Head of the National Food Agency (NFA) Arief Prasetyo Adi revealed that Perum Bulog had secured 1.3 million tons of rice stock as of August 2, 2023.

Arief conveyed this after attending an internal meeting chaired by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Wednesday, August 2.

"Mr. President asked Bulog to increase its stock from 1.3 million tons that have been disbursed by 2.4 million tons with an absorption target of 2.4 million tons by the end of 2023," said Arief in an official statement, Wednesday, August 3.

Arief also said that Perum Bulog had distributed more than 1.34 million tons of rice to stabilize food supply and prices and food assistance for low-income people.

Arief said that the rice food assistance for the first 3 months until the end of July 2023 as much as 640,000 tons had been disbursed for 21.353 million Beneficiary Families (KPM).

According to Arief, the benefits of providing this rice aid are very much felt by low-income people (MBR).

In addition, it also affects the balance of rice prices in the market so that rice prices are stable and inflation in the last four months has been maintained.

"Therefore, according to the direction of the President, the rice food assistance will be distributed again for the second period from October to December 2023 with the same volume and target as the first stage," said Arief.

"We understand that food has a significant contribution to inflation, so this rice food assistance is important for our brothers and sisters who need it in an effort to maintain people's purchasing power," he concluded.

As for BPS data, inflation in July 2023 shows that the annual inflation trend has decreased from February to July 2023 sequentially from 5.47 percent, 4.97 percent, 4.33 percent, 4.00 percent, 3.52 percent, and 3.08 percent (yoy). For inflation, the turmoil continued to fall from June by 1.2 percent to -0.03 percent in July 2023.