Government Distributes Food Aid to 3,427 Recipients Ahead of Eid

The government’s food assistance programme distributing rice and cooking oil has begun being distributed to low-income communities. Under the mandate of the National Food Agency (Bapanas), state-owned Perum Bulog had successfully delivered this economic stimulus programme to 3,427 recipients by the first week of March.

Food aid comprising 68,540 kilogrammes of rice and 13,708 litres of cooking oil had been distributed by 9 March. The government is committed to accelerating the realisation of food aid distribution, particularly as Eid al-Fitr 1447 Hijriah approaches on 10-11 March.

“Bapanas and Bulog, under the instruction of the President and the Head of Bapanas, are present for the people. Food assistance will continue to be distributed, especially approaching Eid al-Fitr which the community will soon celebrate,” said Rachmi Widiriani, Director of Distribution and Food Reserves at Bapanas, as quoted from a press release received on Wednesday (11 March).

Provinces that have begun implementing food assistance distribution include North Sumatra, East Java, Bali, Jambi, Banten, and South Sulawesi. Bapanas is encouraging Bulog across all regions of Indonesia to commence distribution of the rice and cooking oil assistance programme with the expectation that public purchasing power and consumption can be maintained on an improving trend in the first quarter of this year.

Food assistance programmes such as this have proven capable of providing leverage for low-income communities to better manage their daily consumption expenditure. In Madiun City, for example, the Acting Mayor F. Bagus Panuntun appreciated the programme for its benefits and accuracy in helping the community ahead of Eid. “The assistance from Bapanas comprises 20 kilogrammes of rice and 4 litres of oil. This is to help maintain price stability in Madiun City. So this is very beneficial. The timing is very appropriate. Ten days before Eid. Hopefully it can be utilised by the community,” said Bagus.

Separately, Andi Amran Sulaiman, Head of Bapanas and Minister of Agriculture, confirmed that the implementation of the food assistance programme is complete and ready for distribution. Amran emphasised that whenever there are needs for the community, he will always act quickly without unnecessary delays. “I have already signed off for 33.2 million people. This is the President’s instruction to lighten the burden on our brothers and sisters in the holy month of Ramadan. Everything is done. All people’s needs cannot remain sitting on my desk overnight,” Amran stated.

The food assistance programme for rice and cooking oil requires total government budgeting of Rp11.92 trillion, allocated to 33.2 million food assistance recipients throughout Indonesia. The five provinces with the largest number of recipients are West Java with 6,093,530 recipients, East Java with 5,638,478 recipients, and Central Java with 5,071,126 recipients, followed by North Sumatra with 1,756,846 recipients and Banten with 1,298,597 recipients.

The quantity of rice distributed is 10 kilogrammes per recipient and cooking oil 2 litres per recipient for one-month allocation. With this, for the distribution of two months simultaneously, Bulog will expend rice stock of 664,800 tonnes and cooking oil of 132,900 kilolitres.

Bulog’s Sorong Branch is distributing assistance to 43,935 beneficiary families with total rice distribution reaching 878 tonnes and 175 kilolitres of cooking oil. The government has set aside Rp6.5 trillion for the continuation of the food assistance programme for the October-November 2025 period. Seventy-two thousand beneficiary families in Temanggung Regency, Central Java, have begun receiving rice food assistance for the June-July 2025 distribution period. The Head of the Bulog Regional Office for South and Southeast Sulawesi stated that distribution instructions from the centre have been received and technical processes are being prepared. Perum Bulog confirms full readiness in distributing rice food assistance to 18,277,083 food aid recipients throughout Indonesia.