Bulog President Director ensures rice distribution in Kalimantan continues
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The President Director of Perum Bulog, Ahmad Rizal Ramdhani, has ensured that rice distribution in the Kalimantan region continues to proceed, despite being affected by haze resulting from forest and land fires (karhutla), through situational adjustments.
Rizal stated that his team continues to execute all public service programmes while adjusting distribution operations based on the developing haze situation across various regions in Kalimantan.
“Therefore, alongside the disruption caused by smoke from the impact of forest and land fires, Bulog continues to implement programmes as usual. However, under current conditions, we are adjusting in accordance with government advisories,” said Rizal in Jakarta on Tuesday night.
He explained that certain areas, such as Sampit, temporarily suspended services because the haze caused very limited visibility, necessitating adjustments to distribution activities to ensure the safety of field officers.
Rizal noted that these conditions are temporary, as Bulog is continuously monitoring weather developments and will resume services once visibility improves so that distribution can proceed safely.
This coordination is being conducted to calculate the requirements for disaster assistance, ensuring that the distribution of government food reserves can be targeted accurately according as requests are submitted through respective local governments in stages.
Rizal invited local governments to submit requests for assistance if required, as Bulog is prepared to provide support to communities affected by haze in Kalimantan as well as earthquake-affected regions such as East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). The national government rice reserve (CBP) managed by Bulog has reached 4.9 million tonnes as of 1 September 2024.
Furthermore, Rizal stated that all Bulog warehouses in the Kalimantan region are in a safe condition because their locations are far from forested areas, meaning they are unaffected by fires or fire threats during disaster management.
However, Rizal did not specify the total amount of rice stock currently held within the Kalimantan region.
Nevertheless, Bulog emphasised that rice distribution will continue to be pushed towards distribution points whenever weather and visibility conditions permit, as a form of commitment to maintaining food security and meeting the needs of the community in Kalimantan.
“We are adjusting distribution to the conditions. If the weather and visibility allow, we will push distribution to the designated delivery points,” said Rizal.