Government adds 1 million tonnes of SPHP rice to safeguard stability during El Nino
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan (Zulhas) stated that the government has added an allocation of 1 million tonnes of Food Supply and Price Stabilisation (SPHP) rice to maintain price stability for the commodity during the dry season caused by the El Nino phenomenon.
“We are adding another 1 million tonnes, 1 million tonnes of SPHP medium rice. So the subsidised rice sold in markets will be priced at around Rp12,500 per kilogram,” said Zulhas after a Limited Coordination Meeting on the Management and Distribution of Government Food Reserves (CPP) at the Ministry of Food in Jakarta on Monday.
The meeting was also attended by Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman and Deputy Head of the State-Owned Enterprises Regulatory Agency (BP BUMN) Tedi Bharata. Zulhas said this year’s dry season differs from previous years because there has been almost no rainfall, leaving many farmers unable to plant rice during the gadu or lean season.
This situation has caused rice supplies from farmers to decline, with the demand and supply mechanism pushing rice prices higher in a number of regions, although the increases remain in the range of Rp100 to Rp200 per kilogram.
To curb the increase, the government decided to add supplies of SPHP medium rice so that the availability of subsidised rice in the markets rises and price movements can be suppressed.
Zulhas said the allocation of SPHP medium rice, previously set at 828,000 tonnes throughout 2026, is now nearly exhausted, with only around 80,000 tonnes remaining after distribution to the public.
The government then approved an additional 1 million tonnes of SPHP medium rice, which will be distributed in stages during October, November, and December 2026.
The SPHP rice will be marketed at prices according to zoning so that the public continues to have access to rice at affordable prices.
According to Zulhas, the additional supply will strengthen the government’s efforts, together with the Ministry of Agriculture and state logistics firm Perum Bulog, to maintain the balance of rice supplies during the national lean season.
The government is optimistic that the additional 1 million tonnes of SPHP rice will be able to hold back price increases, maintain supply stability, and protect the public’s purchasing power until the next harvest season begins.
SPHP rice is sold in accordance with the Highest Retail Price (HET), namely Rp12,500 per kilogram for zone 1 (Java, Lampung, South Sumatra, Bali, West Nusa Tenggara, Sulawesi); Rp13,100 per kilogram for zone 2 (Sumatra excluding Lampung and South Sumatra, East Nusa Tenggara, Kalimantan); and Rp13,500 per kilogram for zone 3 (Maluku, Papua).
At the same event, President Director of Perum Bulog Ahmad Rizal Ramdhani revealed that the company had initially proposed an additional allocation of 400,000 tonnes of SPHP rice to anticipate needs until the end of the year.
Rizal explained that SPHP rice stocks in Bulog warehouses now stand at only around 100,000 tonnes, so additional supplies are needed to face the period from September to December, including major religious holidays.
According to Rizal, the government ultimately approved an additional allocation of 1 million tonnes of SPHP rice as a major show of support for Bulog in maintaining price stability and meeting the public’s needs.
“So, we submitted a proposal of roughly 400,000 tonnes, but the government backed us with 1 million tonnes. This is extraordinary support from the government to Bulog, and extraordinary attention to the people. So going forward, the total is 1 million tonnes,” said Rizal.