Bulog Distributes Food Aid to 1.26 Million Residents of Lampung Ahead of Eid al-Fitr 2026
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BANDARLAMPUNG – Perum Bulog’s Lampung Regional Office has distributed food assistance to 1,260,686 beneficiaries throughout Lampung Province. This distribution is an effort to maintain people’s purchasing power ahead of Eid al-Fitr 1447 Hijriah/2026 and Nyepi Day.
“At the provincial level, the number of food aid recipients in Lampung reaches 1,260,686 people, and all have been distributed,” said the Head of Perum Bulog’s Lampung Regional Office, Rindo Safutra, in Bandar Lampung on Thursday (19/3/2026).
According to Rindo, the distribution has been carried out in various districts and cities in Lampung. This programme is part of a national policy implemented simultaneously across Indonesia to anticipate potential rises in the prices of basic commodities ahead of major religious holidays.
Each beneficiary receives assistance for two months, namely February and March 2026, in the form of 20 kilograms of rice and 4 litres of cooking oil. “This is a form of the government’s responsibility in easing the burden on the community, especially amid increasing demand for basic commodities,” he added.
Nationally, this food assistance programme has seen an increase both in the number of recipients and the coverage area, reflecting the government’s commitment to expanding the social safety net for low-income groups.
Meanwhile, in other regions, the Mataram City Food Security Agency, West Nusa Tenggara, reported that food stocks are generally secure ahead of Eid al-Fitr 1446 Hijriah/2026. However, two commodities are in the “red zone”, namely broiler chicken meat and cayenne pepper.
The Head of the Mataram City Food Security Agency, Sudirman, said in Mataram on Thursday that stocks of rice, beef, cooking oil, sugar, and spices are relatively safe and sufficient. In contrast, the price of broiler chicken has surged to Rp50,000 per kilogram from the normal range of Rp35,000–Rp40,000 per kilogram. The price of cayenne pepper has also skyrocketed to Rp130,000 per kilogram, a significant increase from Rp70,000 per kilogram on 13 March 2026.
The price increases are triggered by a surge in public demand ahead of Eid and a decline in local stocks for both commodities. To control the situation, the Food Security Agency, together with the local Food Task Force, is conducting strict daily monitoring, enhancing cross-sector coordination, and ensuring the distribution chain is not exploited for excessive profits.
“We hope the public remains calm and shops according to their needs to avoid triggering panic,” Sudirman urged.
In Papua, Perum Bulog’s Papua and West Papua Regional Office launched the food assistance distribution for the February–March 2026 period in Trikora Ward, North Jayapura District, Jayapura City. The Head of Perum Bulog’s Papua and West Papua Regional Office, Ahmad Mustari, stated that the launch was carried out simultaneously nationwide, with the initial phase in that area.