Agriculture and Home Affairs Ministers Move to Ensure Rice No Longer Burdens the Nation
The Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) has ensured that national food availability remains secure, serving as a key factor in keeping inflation under control. The Minister of Home Affairs, Muhammad Tito Karnavian, revealed that rice is no longer the main contributor to national inflation.
Based on data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), inflation in May 2026 was recorded at 3.08% year-on-year, with a monthly inflation rate of 0.28%. The Head of BPS, Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti, noted that inflation during this year’s Eid al-Adha period was relatively lower compared to the Eid al-Fitr period.
“For May 20lar, month-to-month inflation was 0.28%. Food commodities did not contribute excessively to May’s inflation,” stated Amalia during the Regional Inflation Control Coordination Meeting on Monday (15/6).
Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian emphasised that rice price stability has been maintained over the last two years. In addition to rice, other strategic commodities such as broiler chicken, beef, granulated sugar, and eggs have also shown stable trends.
The Minister of Agriculture, Andi Amran Sulaiman, welcomed this achievement, stating it proves that national food production is becoming increasingly robust. “We are grateful that rice is no longer the primary contributor to inflation,” said Amran.
However, the Minister acknowledged price anomalies in commodities such as shallots and cooking oil, which are more heavily influenced by distribution factors. As an anticipatory measure, the Ministry of Agriculture is encouraging local governments, alongside Bulog and ID Food, to actively implement large-scale cheap market programmes.
“I urge all governors and regents, together with Bulog, to activate cheap markets for rice, chicken, and eggs. Current prices for chicken and eggs require support, with Bulog and ID Food acting as offtakers to maintain price equilibrium,” Amran asserted.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Agriculture is coordinating with the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) to increase the frequency of egg and chicken consumption within the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) Programme to three times a week. This move is expected to serve as a price control instrument while simultaneously assisting local poultry farmers.
Minister Amran also claimed that Indonesia has achieved food self-sufficiency status according to FAO standards. Out of 11 controlled food commodities, eight have achieved self-sufficiency. With total production reaching 73 million tonnes against a requirement of 68 million tonnes, the current import figure stands at approximately 4%.
The Ministry of Agriculture remains optimistic that the synergy between strengthening production and ensuring smooth distribution will continue to maintain national food price stability and protect public purchasing power in the future.