Bulog Banyumas Exceeds Paddy Absorption Target for January-March Period
Purwokerto (ANTARA) - Perum Bulog Banyumas Branch Office, Central Java, recorded that paddy and rice procurement realisation up to the end of March has exceeded the target set for the January-March 2026 period.
The head of Perum Bulog Banyumas Branch Office, Prawoko Setyo Aji, in Purwokerto, Banyumas Regency, on Thursday, stated that paddy and rice absorption up to 31 March 2026 reached 17,878 tonnes equivalent to rice, or 105% of the January-March target of 16,901 tonnes.
“Alhamdulillah, up to 31 March 2026, 17,878 tonnes equivalent to rice have been absorbed, or 105% of the January to March target,” he emphasised.
He said the achievement consists of 33,526,290 kilograms of paddy and 847,000 kilograms of rice absorbed from farmers in the Bulog Banyumas working area.
According to him, this achievement is inseparable from efforts to accelerate procurement through the Serap Gabah Petani (Sergap) programme by going directly to the field to absorb farmers’ harvest.
In this regard, he said, the programme also involves the TNI, particularly Babinsa, as well as field agricultural extension workers (PPL) who assist farmers to ensure the quality of absorbed paddy meets standards.
“This assistance is important to ensure that the absorbed paddy has sufficient harvest age, resulting in quality rice with good yield as government food reserves,” he said.
In its implementation, he said, Bulog absorbs dry harvested paddy (GKP) at Rp6,500 per kilogram and medium rice at Rp12,000 per kilogram in accordance with applicable regulations.
He stated that the average daily absorption is currently between 1,000 and 1,500 tonnes, even recording the highest daily absorption of more than 2,000 tonnes of GKP on 1 April 2026.
Nevertheless, he acknowledged several field challenges, including weather factors affecting harvest time and farmers’ production results.
“In addition, some farmers are still delaying sales because they are waiting for the paddy to not be wet, as well as price dynamics at the start of the harvest that were once above the government purchase price,” he said.
Despite this, he said Bulog continues to strive to maintain price stability at the farmer level while ensuring the availability of government food reserves remains secure.
Looking ahead, he said, Bulog Banyumas Branch Office, together with the TNI, PPL from the Ministry of Agriculture, and local government, will continue to optimise absorption to achieve the 2026 annual target of 78,372 tonnes equivalent to rice.
He stated that the Bulog Banyumas working area covers four regencies, namely Cilacap, Banyumas, Banjarnegara, and Purbalingga, which are the focus of strengthening paddy and rice absorption.
“With the support of all stakeholders, we are optimistic that this year’s absorption target can be achieved, while supporting the government’s efforts to maintain food self-sufficiency,” said Prawoko.