Anticipating Price Surges, Zulhas Requests Acceleration of Food Assistance During Lean Season

The government is taking swift action to accelerate the distribution of food assistance to anticipate the risk of price surges amidst the threat of a long drought and the lean season. This step is being taken to maintain price stability while ensuring that the most economically vulnerable groups can continue to meet their primary needs.

The Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs, Zulkability Hasan (Zulhas), emphasised that accelerating food assistance is crucial for citizens in deciles 1 to 4, who are most affected by seasonal shifts and the decline in harvest yields.

“I have indeed requested that this be accelerated, because we are currently in a dry season, a lean season, and it is not yet harvest time. Automatically, prices will rise slightly. Therefore, citizens in deciles 1 to 4 are in great need of food assistance,” said Zulhas while personally inspecting the food assistance distribution in Wayame Village, Ambon City, Maluku Province, on Thursday (3/9/2026).

According to Zulkifli Hasan, the distribution of food assistance acts as a government anticipatory instrument before inflationary pressures or food price surges increase in the market. This assistance is intended to maintain public purchasing power during the period when domestic production has not yet entered the main harvest season.

For the July-September 2026 period, each Food Assistance Recipient (PBP) receives an allocation of 10 kilograms of rice per month. Consequently, each beneficiary family is entitled to a total of 30 kilograms of rice for their needs over the three-month period.

In Ambon City alone, there are 24,383 registered PBPs from the decile 1-4 community groups. Among them, 349 PBPs reside in Wayame Village.

The government is committed to continuously evaluating and strengthening cross-sector collaboration with local governments and Perum BULOG. This step is vital to ensure that the national food supply remains secure, sufficient, and affordable for all layers of society amidst climate challenges.

Through the acceleration of this food assistance programme, the government is optimistic that it can curb market price volatility and maintain community food security until the harvest season arrives.