Bulog CEO Invites BEM SI to Verify Actual Rice Stock Conditions in Warehouse
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The President Director of Perum Bulog, Ahmad Rizal Ramdhani, invited the All-Indonesia Student Executive Board (BEM SI) to directly inspect the actual condition of the government’s rice reserve stock managed at the Bulog Sunter warehouse in Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta.
The visit was conducted to ensure transparency and to demonstrate the availability of national food supplies, which are currently in a safe and abundant condition.
“Alhamdulillah, this afternoon we are here with BEM Seluruh Indonesia, witnessing and visiting the Bulog warehouse in Jakarta, namely in Sunter,” said Rizal after directly showing the rice stock conditions in the warehouse to several BEM SI representatives in Jakarta on Wednesday.
According to Rizal, the involvement of students is important so that the public receives direct and objective information regarding the national rice stock condition.
He stated that Bulog deliberately invited BEM representatives from across Indonesia to see firsthand the warehouse condition, which is currently fully filled with rice from domestic farmers’ harvests at the government purchase price (HPP) for dried harvest paddy (GKP) of Rp6,500 per kilogram.
Rizal revealed that to date, the total government rice reserve stock managed by the state-owned food company nationwide has reached 5.2 million tonnes equivalent to rice.
“This is the highest achievement throughout the history of independent Indonesia, the most rice in Indonesia today. And this is something to be proud of, and we deliberately brought the student brothers, especially from BEM across Indonesia, to witness directly the Bulog rice stock condition,” explained Rizal.
He added that the BEM SI visit also provides students with an overview of the rice processing process, from paddy to premium or medium rice ready for distribution to the public.
Meanwhile, continued Rizal, for the Bulog Sunter warehouse, which is part of the DKI Jakarta & Banten Regional Office warehouse, the current occupancy rate has reached around 98 percent of the available total capacity.
The capacity of the Sunter warehouse is 355,000 tonnes, so the stock stored there currently is around 350,000 tonnes.
The high occupancy rate has led Bulog to rent additional warehouses in the Tangerang and Banten areas.
Overall, around 140,000 tonnes of rice stock has also been placed in warehouses for the DKI Jakarta and Banten regions to maintain distribution and price stability of the commodity in the market.
Meanwhile, Emon Wirawan, a representative of BEM Seluruh Indonesia, assessed that Indonesia’s food security is in good condition because they have conducted direct real-time inspections in the field.
According to him, the government through the Ministry of Agriculture together with Perum Bulog has endeavoured to maintain national food security.
The students directly witnessed the availability of Bulog rice stock reaching 5.2 million tonnes as a support for Indonesia’s future food security.
According to him, various issues circulating in society that doubt the food security condition do not match the facts they saw directly in the field.
“And we as students have witnessed that (rice stock in the Bulog warehouse) and some issues that may be spreading in the media that may doubt how Indonesia’s food security is,” he said.
“So today we convey to all Indonesian people as representatives of students, our food security for the future is already secured, be optimistic for an advanced Indonesia,” he added.
In agreement, Hani Fatimah from Universitas Trilogi stated that after seeing directly the condition of the government’s rice reserve stock, it can ensure the availability of that commodity remains safe in facing potential El Niño threats.
“Our concerns about a major El Niño coming later can also be assured that our rice is safe for the next year,” she said.
Zakir Ramdani from STAI Al Hidayah Bogor stated that students were invited together with faculty and university BEMs to directly inspect the Bulog warehouse in Kelapa Gading, witnessing full rice stocks.
He assessed that this condition shows the rice self-sufficiency conveyed by Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman to be achieved by the end of 2025 is a fact, while also strengthening students’ confidence in the current national food security.
As social control, continued Zakir, students will continue to monitor supplies and warehouse conditions, and invite the public to collaborate in maintaining food security.