Bulog Medan steps up paddy procurement despite exceeding annual target

Medan (ANTARA) – Perum Bulog’s Medan branch in North Sumatra is stepping up its procurement of freshly harvested paddy from farmers, despite having exceeded its annual target, in an effort to strengthen food reserves.

“We are continuing to procure paddy from farmers in our area even though we have already reached the annual target,” Medan Bulog branch head Lutfillah Barus said in Medan on Monday.

He said procurement had reached 112 per cent, amounting to 34,696 tonnes of paddy, equivalent to 17,348 tonnes of rice. The target was 31,000 tonnes of paddy, or the equivalent of 15,500 tonnes of rice, as at 17 October 2026.

Lutfillah said procurement from farmers would continue because harvesting was still under way in parts of the branch’s area, including Langkat and Serdang Bedagai regencies.

He said the procured paddy would be milled into rice to form part of the government’s food reserves and support various programmes, including the Food Supply and Price Stabilisation programme (SPHP) and food assistance distributions to beneficiaries.

As the government’s food-sector implementing agency, Bulog procures paddy from farmers at the government purchase price (HPP) of Rp6,500 per kilogram.

To maximise procurement through the end of the year, Bulog is also continuing outreach and strengthening cooperation with farmer group associations (gapoktan), local governments and other relevant stakeholders.