Coordinating Minister Zulkifli: Rice Food Aid Distribution Must Be Precisely Targeted

Kediri (ANTARA) - The Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs, Zulkifli Hasan, has emphasised that the distribution of rice food aid for the July-September 2026 period must be precisely targeted and received by those entitled to it.

“We want to ensure that this food aid truly reaches the community,” said Zulkifli Hasan while personally inspecting the distribution of rice food aid in Gogorante Village, Ngasem District, Kediri Regency, East Java, on Thursday.

In this distribution, the government has allocated aid for 251,412 food aid recipients (PBP) in Kediri Regency, with a total amount of rice reaching 7,542,360 kilograms, or approximately 7,542 tonnes.

Zulkifly stated that each recipient receives 10 kilograms of rice per month for the period of July, August, and September 2026. Consequently, recipients receive 30 kilograms of rice at once to meet their food needs for the three-month period.

For the Ngasem District area in Kediri Regency, aid has been allocated to 6,404 food aid recipients with a total of 192,120 kilograms of rice. Meanwhile, in Gogorante Village, there are 400 recipients with a total aid of 12,000 kilograms, or 12 tonnes of rice.

Overall, East Java has received an allocation of rice food aid for 5,690,353 recipients, totalling 170,710,590 kilograms, or approximately 170,000 tonnes of rice.

Zulkifli noted that the government is also preparing the continuation of the rice food aid programme for the October-December 2026 period as an effort to maintain public access to food.

In addition to food aid, the government is increasing the distribution of Food Supply and Price Stabilisation (SPHP) rice by 1 million tonnes to strengthen national food readiness in facing the potential impacts of the dry season.

“Bulog is ensuring that stock readiness and the distribution of food aid proceed smoothly. From the warehouses to the receipt by the beneficiaries, we are monitoring the entire process to ensure this aid is precisely targeted, precisely quantified, and precisely timed,” he said.

Rizal stated that Bulog’s operational network, spread across various regions, supports the implementation of food aid distribution throughout Indonesia.

He added that Bulog continues to maintain stock availability and strengthen rice distribution to support government programmes and meet the food needs of the community.

In addition to the provision of food aid, donations were also presented to orphans during the event.