Bulog withdraws reserve rice stocks from airports following improved conditions in Sumatra

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Perum Bulog’s President Director Ahmad Rizal Ramdhani stated that all rice stocks previously reserved at several airports and ports have been withdrawn back to warehouses, following the gradual normalisation of food distribution after the Sumatra floods. “They have all been withdrawn back to the warehouses. What was previously stocked at each airport (at least) 30 tonnes has now been pulled back because things are normal now,” Rizal said when met after a working meeting with Commission XI of the House of Representatives in Jakarta on Thursday. The withdrawal was carried out after the situation in the disaster-affected areas was deemed increasingly stable, allowing community food needs to be met without the need for emergency stock placement at major transport points. Previously, Bulog had prepared emergency rice stocks of 30 to 50 tonnes at every airport and port in the Sumatra region to anticipate sudden needs due to the floods and landslides that struck North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Aceh from November to December 2025. At that time, several areas could not be accessed by land routes due to road disruptions from the floods. One of them was the Takengon area in Central Aceh Regency. In addition to air routes, Bulog also ensured distribution via sea routes by preparing reserve rice stocks at ports in the disaster-affected areas of Sumatra. Instructions to prepare stocks of between 30 and 50 tonnes at ports were given to ensure that food aid shipments by sea could be carried out quickly in emergency conditions. At that time, Bulog also ensured that all of the state-owned food company’s rice warehouses operated on 24-hour standby to support the acceleration of aid distribution to disaster-affected communities. The policy of reserving rice stocks at airports and ports was implemented during the emergency response period until the affected areas fully recovered and community activities returned to normal. However, Rizal assured that with the current gradually stabilised community conditions without the previous panic, including no more panic buying in Central Aceh which had occurred earlier, the reserve rice stocks at each airport and port have now been fully withdrawn. “So, insya Allah, up to now, the logistical needs in the disaster areas are sufficiently met, both for rice, oil, sugar, and so on. And it’s even flat now. There’s no more community panic like before, right? There was panic buying in Central Aceh at that time. Well, now there’s none anymore, it’s safe,” said Rizal.