Amid El Niño Threat, Agriculture Minister Ensures Rice Stock Safety

Agriculture Minister (Mentan) Andi Amran Sulaiman has guaranteed the food stock in the form of rice amid the drought threat due to the El Niño phenomenon predicted to occur this year. Mentan Amran stated that the current national rice stock is in the safest condition throughout the history of the Republic of Indonesia, with reserves sufficient to meet needs for the next 10 months. “Our stock, reserves in Bulog warehouses, in the field, is enough for the next 10 months. If from this March, then until December it is sufficient. I repeat, our stock today is enough for the next 10 months,” he said after opening the 26th Bugis Makassar Merchant Meeting (PSBM) of 2026 in Makassar, South Sulawesi, on Thursday (26/3/2026). He explained that the currently available stock does not include that which will be harvested in the coming months. He projected at least two million tonnes of production per month for the next seven months. This, he said, is capable of producing a total reserve of up to 14 million tonnes, predicted to cover needs until May 2027. The El Niño threat typically lasts only six months, so it will not have a significant impact on food stocks. The Head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas) of the Republic of Indonesia expressed his confidence that national food security will not be disrupted by the prolonged dry season triggered by El Niño. “Our stock is at its highest today, at 4.2 million tonnes. Next month it will become 5 million tonnes. Such stock has never occurred during the Independent Republic,” he said.