Bulog's Role in Safeguarding Food Security in Indonesia's Northern Frontier

At 59 years of age, Perum Bulog continues to strengthen President RI’s ‘Asta Cipta’ programme in the food security sector through synergy with the Merah Putih Village Cooperative (KDMP). Celebrating its 59th anniversary on 10 May 2026 under the theme ‘Guarding Food, Protecting the Future’, Bulog has achieved a new milestone in managing the government’s rice reserves (CBP), which have reached 5.3 million tonnes, up from 4.2 million tonnes in 2025. This achievement serves as a tangible manifestation of Bulog’s support for the national food self-sufficiency programme championed by President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka.

Currently, Bulog is focusing on business transformation through the development of post-harvest infrastructure to strengthen national food security from Sabang to Merauke. One region of particular focus for Bulog is the Riau Islands (Kepri), a province on Indonesia’s northern frontier bordering Malaysia and Singapore. With 2,408 islands, 394 of which are inhabited, Kepri faces unique challenges in maintaining food security. As it is not an agricultural production area, the inter-island distribution of basic commodities faces relatively high logistics costs via sea routes.

Consequently, Bulog’s presence is vital for border communities to ensure the availability and stability of food supplies. Bulog continues to expand the distribution of the Food Supply and Price Stabilisation (SPHP) programme, or medium-grade rice, in the underdeveloped, frontier, and outermost (3T) regions of Kepri by gradually adding new warehouses starting in 2026. The Head of the Tanjungpinang Bulog Branch, Arief Alhadihaq, stated that new warehouses will be built at five locations across Natuna Regency, Anambas Islands Regency, and Lingga Regency.

In Natuna, Bulog will add three new warehouses in Pulau Laut, Midai, and Serasan, each with a capacity of 1,000 tonnes. Natuna currently possesses two Bulog warehouses in Ranai and Sedanau, each with a 1,000-tonne capacity. Meanwhile, in the Anambas Islands, an additional 1,000-tonne warehouse will be built on Pulau Jemaja, supplementing the existing warehouse in Tarempa. In Lingga, Bulog plans to build a 1,000-tonne warehouse on Pulau Dabok, with a target completion in 2027.

For other areas such as Batam City and Bintan Island, which include Tanjungpinang City and Bintan Regency, existing Bulog warehouses with capacities ranging from 2,000 to 3,500 tonnes are deemed sufficient to meet local rice needs. In Karimun Regency, Bulog currently rents an 800-tonne warehouse; however, the central government will soon construct a permanent 2,000-tonne warehouse in the area.

The construction of these new warehouses in the Kepri hinterland is funded through the State Budget (APBN), while local governments are providing land grants. Beyond warehousing, Bulog is preparing complexes equipped with offices, official residences, prayer rooms, and is empowering local residents through rice loading and unloading activities. The addition of these five warehouses is driven by the geographical challenges of inter-island logistics, which trigger high distribution costs and are further complicated by unpredictable weather. For instance, a sea voyage from Ranai, the capital of Natuna, to Pulau Laut takes approximately six hours. The presence of new warehouses is expected to strengthen food security in 3T regions by ensuring the supply of government rice reserves, making affordable medium-grade rice accessible to areas facing high prices due to long distribution chains. Furthermore, Bulog can supply rice earlier to anticipate the north wind season, which often triggers waves of up to four metres and potentially hinders shipments to the outermost islands.