Bulog mandates certification for rice milling partners by 2027
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The President Director of Perum Bulog, Ahmad Rizal Ramdhani, has emphasised that all rice mills acting as toll-processing partners must be certified starting in 2027 to improve the quality of the government’s rice reserves (CBP). According to Rizal, the certification policy is part of Bulog’s efforts to raise the quality standards of rice mills and ensure all partners can produce rice that meets national quality requirements.
“We are currently inviting our milling partners to improve their quality. Because in 2027, we will implement certification for rice mills. The sole purpose is to enhance quality,” Rizal stated in Jakarta on Thursday.
He explained that only rice mills that pass the certification will be eligible to serve as Bulog’s toll-processing partners, while those that fail will be unable to establish cooperation. Rizal noted that certification is a vital instrument to guarantee the mills’ ability to produce high-quality rice, thereby allowing Bulog to continuously improve its service standards to the public.
Through this certification implementation, Bulog aims to ensure that every grain of rice produced by its partners is of good quality, clean, healthy, odourless, pest-free, and fit for public consumption. He emphasised that Bulog is no longer focusing solely on the quantity of rice absorption but is also strengthening product quality so that government rice reserves meet increasingly higher standards.
Rizal stated that the certification policy is expected to strengthen Bulog’s partnership with milling businesses while providing high-quality rice to the community through more professional and standardised management.
Previously, Rizal emphasised that Bulog prioritises community-owned rice mills as partners to strengthen regional economies and improve public welfare. This policy aligns with the directives of President Prabowo Subianto, which encourage Bulog to involve more small-scale mills rather than relying solely on large-scale operations for the national processing of government rice reserves.
“In accordance with the President’s direction, Bulog should empower small community-owned mills to revitalise them. In previous eras, there was a tendency to rely more on large-scale mills,” Rizal said when contacted by ANTARA in Jakarta on Wednesday.
He made these remarks during a confirmation regarding a sudden inspection conducted at one of the toll-processing rice mill partners in Turitempel Village, Guntur District, Demak Regency, Central Java. Bulog notes that its national network of cooperating rice mill partners has reached tens of thousands of units, expanding the rice processing network and supporting the strengthening of national food security.