Bulog CEO: 5.23 Million Tonne Rice Stock Sufficient Until Next Year

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Perum Bulog’s President Director, Ahmad Rizal Ramdhani, stated that the national rice stock managed by the company has reached 5.23 million tonnes to maintain food security safely until next year. “For all of Indonesia, Bulog’s stock (government rice reserves managed) now stands at 5.23 million tonnes. And this can sustain our food security until next year,” Rizal said in Jakarta on Thursday. He assured that the availability of this stock is sufficient to face potential food production disruptions, including drought threats from the El Nino phenomenon expected in the middle to end of next year. According to him, the public need not worry about the national rice supply because the government has adequate food reserves, with quality and distribution continuously maintained through optimal warehouse management. Ahmad Rizal also invited the public to directly check Bulog warehouses in various regions to ensure transparency in managing the national rice stock, which is currently described as abundant. He emphasised that Bulog warehouses are open to the public for direct stock checks as an effort to strengthen transparency and educate on national food security. This openness policy is a directive from the Minister of Agriculture and Head of the National Food Agency, Andi Amran Sulaiman, so that the public can know the real condition of the government’s rice stock in Bulog warehouses. “So now Bulog is open to the public. I convey that the order from the Minister, as Head of Bapanas, allows Bulog warehouses to be accessed by anyone,” he said. The public wishing to visit Bulog warehouses is permitted, but must first register and confirm permission so that all activities remain recorded and orderly. According to Rizal, this warehouse openness is to eliminate the impression of secrecy in food management and build public trust in the current national rice stock condition. “But it must be registered, permission must be confirmed first. So it must (have permission first), not just wandering in, but must be recorded, whoever wants to see Bulog warehouses, we open with open arms,” he stated. So far, he said, visits to Bulog warehouses have been conducted by a number of high school students through study tour programmes carried out in various regions across Indonesia. Bulog also plans to expand this visit programme to university students so that the younger generation can understand the government’s food reserve logistics and management system directly. “We will later create a study tour programme for university students on field work lectures (KKL) at Bulog warehouses, at Bulog facilities,” he said. He hopes that visits by students and university students can enhance public awareness of national food security while showing the safe and abundant rice stock condition. According to him, openness of information is an important step so that the public understands the achievements of national food self-sufficiency and directly knows the government’s rice management carried out professionally and measurably. “This is now the era of openness. So no more covering things up and so on. Our hope is that the public knows, anyone, whether university students, school children, or community elements, so they know that our rice condition is truly abundant and we have food self-sufficiency,” Rizal stressed. As of Wednesday (6/5), Perum Bulog manages 5.2 million tonnes of government rice reserve stock (CBP) nationally. In addition, until early May 2026, Bulog’s domestic farmer paddy absorption has reached 2.4 million tonnes equivalent to rice for strengthening CBP. Rizal said this achievement is part of the national target of 4 million tonnes equivalent to rice in 2026 as per the government’s assignment in supporting food security and domestic supply stability.