Indonesia has begun exporting rice to Saudi Arabia to meet the\nconsumption needs of Indonesian Hajj pilgrims in the 2026 hajj season.\nThrough Perum Bulog, 2,280 tonnes of premium rice will be shipped\ngradually to the Holy Land.<\/p>\n
The export ceremony took place at Bulog\u2019s Kelapa Gading warehouse in\nJakarta on Wednesday, 4 March 2026, and was attended by Agriculture\nMinister Amran Sulaiman, Deputy Trade Minister Dyah Roro Esti Widya\nPutri, Member of Parliament Abdul Kharis of Commission IV, Director\nGeneral for Hajj and Umrah Ecosystem Development Jaenal Effendi, Senior\nSecretary of the National Food Agency (Bapanas) Sarwo Edhy, and Bulog\u2019s\ndirectors.<\/p>\n
Bulog\u2019s President Director Ahmad Rizal Ramdhani explained that the\ntotal rice exports for this year\u2019s hajj needs amount to 2,280 tonnes.\nThe volume is aligned with the needs of the Indonesian hajj pilgrims,\nestimated at around 215,000.<\/p>\n
\u2018The total export of hajj rice is 2,280 tonnes. This is in line with\nthe request from the Hajj Ministry, in accordance with the number of\nIndonesian Hajj pilgrims this year at about 215,000,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n
He noted the rice exported does not come from old warehouse stock,\nbut from newly harvested crops by farmers that are processed directly\ninto premium rice.<\/p>\n
\u2018So the rice we process is freshly harvested from the fields, not\nrice that is already in the warehouse, but rice we harvest in the\nfields. After harvest, it is dried and transported to silos at the\nprocessing facilities \u2014 Wilmar or our own \u2014 we dry it and immediately\nprocess it into premium rice,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n
Rizal added that the quality of the exported rice is very high. The\nbreakage rate is below 5%, around 4%, with moisture content below\n14%.<\/p>\n
\u2018This is premium rice with a breakage rate below 5%, in fact around\n4%. The moisture content is below 14%. So in our view this is\nsuper-premium rice that Bulog has produced. Historically Bulog\u2019s premium\nrice had a breakage rate of 15%,\u2019 he explained.<\/p>\n
For delivery, Bulog will use three different ships. The three vessels\ncome from international and domestic shipping companies.<\/p>\n
\u2018We will use three ships: Hyundai Unity, Wan Hai, and Kota Sejati,\u2019\nhe revealed.<\/p>\n
The shipments are planned to commence on 7 March, once all ships are\nready.<\/p>\n
\u2018We plan to depart around 7 March, waiting for our ships to be ready.\nGod willing, this should proceed smoothly. Despite the ongoing conflicts\nin the Arabian Peninsula, we hope there will be no problems,\u2019 he\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman said the export is an\nimportant milestone as it comes while national rice stocks are at high\nlevels.<\/p>\n
\u2018This is the first export to Saudi Arabia. It is a good moment\nbecause our production and stock today total 3.7 million tonnes,\u2019 Amran\nsaid on the same occasion.<\/p>\n
According to Amran, the stock is among the largest in history for the\nMarch period.<\/p>\n
\u2018That is the largest in our history for stocks in March,\u2019 he\nadded.<\/p>\n
He also said the government is beginning to explore export\nopportunities to several other countries as domestic production\nrises.<\/p>\n
\u2018We are exporting now, and we are looking at several countries: Saudi\nArabia, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, and the Philippines,\u2019 Amran\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He hoped Indonesia\u2019s rice exports could continue to rise, including\nto meet the needs of Indonesian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia, whose\npotential is estimated to be much larger.<\/p>\n
\u2018Hopefully in the future we can export even more. But for our\npilgrims, Saudi Arabia is estimated at between 20,000 and 50,000 tonnes.\nThen to other countries. For now, 2,280 tonnes,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n
The rice to be exported comes from fresh paddy procurement by\ndomestic farmers and is processed through modern Rice Milling Units\n(RMUs) that meet high standards. The product has undergone laboratory\ntests, meets international export standards, and is halal-certified.<\/p>\n
The government also ensures that this export will not disrupt\ndomestic rice availability. The Government Rice Stock (CBP) remains\nsafely stocked so that the needs of the public are met.<\/p>\n
Exports of rice for Indonesian pilgrims are also the first of its\nkind to be carried out on a special basis. The government views this\nmove as showcasing Indonesia\u2019s ability to supply premium-quality rice to\ninternational markets.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/confirmed-indonesia-exports-2-280-tonnes-of-premium-rice-to-saudi-arabia-using-3-vessels-1772611763", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }