Bulog assures national rice stocks are secure amid Middle East tensions

Jakarta — The state-owned Bulog (Perum Bulog) has assured that the government’s rice stock nationwide remains safe and under control to meet domestic needs, even as global geopolitical tensions in the Middle East intensify. Bulog Operations Director Andi Afdal emphasised that Bulog continues to ensure the management of the Government Rice Stock (CBP) runs optimally to maintain national food stability, in the face of geopolitical turmoil and the potential impact of the El Niño phenomenon in 2026. “The rice stocks currently managed are in a safe and adequate condition to maintain national food availability,” Andi Afdal said in a Jakarta press release on Saturday. The rice stock managed by the state-owned food enterprise stands at up to 3.7 million tonnes. The stock is also ready to be used for various government interventions to maintain supply and price stability in the market. He further explained that Bulog will continue to strengthen stock management through the absorption of domestic production and planned distribution management. Consequently, government food reserves remain safeguarded amid various global challenges, including the conflict between Iran and Israel and its US allies. Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister and Head of the National Food Agency Andi Amran Sulaiman stressed that the national food stock situation is currently safe, so the public does not need to worry. “After we calculated the strength of national food reserves taking into account the warming global geopolitical situation, Alhamdulillah our food reserves are available for up to 324 days ahead. So the people do not need to worry, because our food availability is sufficient and we will continue to strengthen it,” Amran said. Amran explained that the calculation derives from various sources of national food reserves, from the government rice stock managed by Bulog, reserves in the hotel, restaurant and cafe sector (horeka), to potential production from crops on farmland. He noted that the rice stock managed by Bulog currently stands at around 3.7 million tonnes, plus horeca sector reserves of more than 12 million tonnes and standing crop potential of around 10–11 million tonnes. Taken together, the reserves are estimated to be able to meet national food needs for up to 324 days. With various precautionary steps already taken by the government in collaboration with all stakeholders, including Perum Bulog, the national food supply is believed to remain safeguarded, able to meet the needs of people across Indonesia.