Extensive Rice Harvest Ensures Food Stock Security, Ministry of Agriculture Confirms
The Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) has confirmed that national food availability is secure as the major rice harvest unfolds across various regions of Indonesia at the end of March 2026.
Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman emphasised that current national food production ensures sufficient stock. Kementan records show that the Government Rice Reserve (CBP) in Bulog warehouses has reached over 4 million tonnes and is projected to increase to nearly 5 million tonnes in the near future. This achievement further strengthens national food resilience.
“Our food availability is very secure. The total national rice stock is sufficient for the next 324 days, so the public need not worry,” Amran stated.
The simultaneous major harvest in several areas also maintains supply stability and food prices, particularly ahead of Nyepi Day and Eid al-Fitr, preventing significant price surges.
This situation is evident in various production centres. In Kutai Kartanegara Regency, East Kalimantan, the rice harvest is taking place in Mulawarman Village, Tenggarong Seberang Subdistrict, as part of the village-based Food Resilience Programme involving Village-Owned Enterprises (BUMDes) and farmer groups.
The programme manages 350 hectares of land involving 350 farmers, with some areas entering the productive phase. This collaborative model between village governments, BUMDes, farmer groups, and the private sector serves as an example of strengthening region-based food production.
Regent of Kutai Kartanegara, Aulia Rahman Basri, stated that the success of this harvest is part of the regional economic transformation towards strengthening the agricultural sector.
“Today’s harvest is concrete evidence of our commitment to making Kutai Kartanegara the food barn of East Kalimantan. We currently have 13,000 hectares of productive paddy fields. The future focus is to increase productivity from 5 tonnes to 6 tonnes per hectare through extensification and mechanisation,” Aulia said on Wednesday (25/3/2026).
Director General of Food Crops, Yudi Sastro, emphasised the importance of increasing planting area expansion and productivity as strategies to maintain production sustainability.
“Increasing the planting area expansion (LTT) is the main strategy in maintaining rice production stability, from the extensification side, and from the intensification side as well, which must be improved by increasing its productivity,” he said.
Kementan continues to promote support for production facilities, including agricultural machinery and equipment (alsintan), to enhance efficiency and productivity at the farmer level. With the expanding major harvest in various regions, the government is optimistic that national rice production will remain stable, thereby strengthening food reserves and sustainably maintaining price stability.