Deputy Agriculture Minister highlights maintaining rice quality amid abundant stocks

Palembang (ANTARA) - Deputy Agriculture Minister Sudaryono highlighted the importance of maintaining rice quality amid the abundance of national rice reserves, which have now surpassed 5.1 million tonnes.

Sudaryono, when interviewed in Palembang on Thursday, stated that the government’s current focus is no longer solely on increasing production, but on ensuring that stock management is carried out with discipline so that the rice remains fit for consumption when distributed.

“Our current challenge is how Bulog can maintain rice quality with discipline. Earlier, I checked directly, even poking into the sacks, and alhamdulillah, there was no damage, no dampness, and no weevils,” he said.

According to him, the significant increase in national rice production has led to limitations in storage warehouse capacity. Several Bulog warehouses in various regions are reported to be starting to fill up.

In fact, in some areas, including South Sumatra, the government has had to rent additional facilities such as rice mills to accommodate the harvest.

“Our warehouses are no longer sufficient, so we have to rent other places. This shows that production is increasing, but it also demands readiness in storage infrastructure,” he explained.

Sudaryono noted that South Sumatra is one of the priority areas for new warehouse construction because it is a major food production centre in the Sumatra region.

Currently, the rice reserves in the province are recorded at around 98,000 tonnes and are estimated to continue increasing until the end of the main harvest season in May 2026.

He assured that the rice stock in South Sumatra is in a safe condition, both for community needs and the government’s food assistance programmes.

“As long as the harvest is still ongoing, the stock will continue to grow. So, the public does not need to worry about rice availability,” he explained.

To anticipate the surge in production while maintaining price stability, the government is building around 100 new warehouse units and rice processing facilities in various regions, said Sudaryono.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Regional Head of Bulog for South Sumatra and Bangka Belitung, Renato Horison, stated that South Sumatra has been allocated the construction of five new warehouses in the plan.

“South Sumatra is allocated five new warehouses because it is the number one food production centre in Sumatra and ranks among the top five nationally,” he said.