Facing El Nino Godzilla, Agriculture Minister Amran Ensures Rice Stocks Secure for 10 Months

President Prabowo Subianto summoned Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman to the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Thursday, 18 June 2026. The government confirmed the availability of national food stocks and the readiness of agricultural infrastructure to face the potential impacts of the El Nino Godzilla climate phenomenon.

Minister Amran explained that national rice reserves as of June 2026 reached approximately 5.2 million tonnes. He stated that this amount is sufficient to meet national demand for the coming months. “Then rice in hotels, homes, and restaurants, that is approximately 12.5 million tonnes. This means that with these reserves, all three combined, we can cover the next 10 to 11 months. If we take the lowest estimate, that is 10 months ahead, meaning until April. From July to April is 10 months ahead,” said Minister Amran.

Beyond food reserves, Minister Amran conveyed that the government has also ensured the readiness of various agricultural infrastructure as a mitigation measure against the risks of El Nino Godzilla. These efforts include the construction of reservoirs, pump irrigation systems, deep wells, pump irrigation programmes, land optimisation, and the creation of new rice fields.

“We have built reservoirs, then pump irrigation, deep wells, then pump irrigation programmes, land optimisation, which means swamp land that usually yields one harvest can now yield two or three. Then we continue printing new rice fields. All of this can mitigate the risks. Once again, God willing, our food supply is secure,” he explained.

In the livestock sector, Minister Amran stated that the government is also maintaining egg price stability through collaboration with various parties, from farmers to the National Nutrition Agency (BGN). “I directly called the head of BGN, suggesting that if possible, egg consumption could be increased from once a week to three times a week, including chicken, so that prices start to climb, and we have all agreed on this,” he said.

Furthermore, Minister Amran explained that the government continues to accelerate the downstream programme for horticultural commodities, including coffee, coconut, and sugarcane. In addition, the government will continue distributing various forms of aid to regions to support the acceleration of agricultural sector development. “We have already done this with colleagues in 2025, and we will continue in 2026 and 2027. The total area for farmers is 870,000 hectares, including land in Papua, across all districts in Papua,” he clarified.