Food Stock Safe Ahead of Ramadan and Eid, Zulkifli Hasan Assures Price Control

The Coordinating Minister for Food (Menko Pangan) Zulkifli Hasan has assured that national food availability ahead of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr remains secure and prices are relatively controlled.

According to Zulkifli, supplies of various food commodities are currently more than adequate, so the public need not worry about food shortages during the fasting month until Eid. “For Ramadan and Eid, thank goodness our food stocks are more than sufficient. They are available and prices remain affordable,” Zulkifli said when met at the Coordinating Ministry for Food Office in Jakarta on Wednesday (11/3).

Some commodities experienced price increases, such as chillies and eggs, though these remained within reasonable limits according to government reference prices. “Some prices have risen, such as chillies, but now they are tending to decline. Eggs also rose temporarily, but remain within government reference prices,” he explained. The reference price for chicken egg sales currently stands at between Rp27,000–Rp29,000 per kilogram at consumer level.

Zulkifli added that the Middle East conflict poses no direct impact on Indonesia’s food supplies because the country does not import foodstuffs from that region. “War in the Middle East does not affect our food because we do not import food from there,” he said. Nevertheless, the government remains vigilant against potential indirect impacts, particularly if energy prices spike, which could trigger inflation pressure.

The government’s primary strategy is to increase domestic production, in line with the President’s directive to accelerate the national food self-sufficiency target. “The President’s order is clear—our production must be increased. The food self-sufficiency target, previously set for five years, has been asked to be accelerated to three years, two years, or even one year,” Zulkifli emphasised.

Additionally, the fisheries sector is projected to achieve increased production this year, with potential for supply surplus. “For fish, God willing, production this year will be excessive. So for Ramadan and Eid, we are optimistic that food stocks are secure and prices remain controlled,” concluded the Coordinating Minister for Food.