House Member Calls for Independent Certification of Bulog's Rice Mill Partners
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Member of Commission IV of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) Firman Soebagyo supports the implementation of certification for warehouses and rice mills partnering with Bulog to maintain rice quality while strengthening the governance of national food reserves.
Firman said the government purchase price policy has made farmers more comfortable selling unhusked rice to Bulog due to the applicable any-quality purchase scheme.
“Now the stock (government rice reserves in Bulog warehouses exceed 5 million tonnes) is quite large, so we are asking for certification of rice mills,” Firman said after the 2026 Annual Session of the MPR RI and the Joint Session of the DPR RI-DPD RI in Jakarta on Friday.
According to him, the increase in unhusked rice absorption by Bulog at the government purchase price (HPP) of Rp6,500 per kilogram has contributed to the rise in national rice stocks, so follow-up measures are needed to ensure rice quality is maintained during storage.
As a member of Commission IV of the DPR RI, which oversees agriculture, environment and forestry, as well as marine affairs and fisheries, Firman explained that certification of Bulog partners aims to improve the quality of rice management while increasing the discipline of rice mills and business actors cooperating with Bulog.
“The goal is to improve quality, and also to increase the discipline of Bulog partners, and then there must also be minimum standards,” he said.
He assessed that the application of minimum standards is an important part of certification so that rice absorbed by Bulog has maintained quality and does not pose a risk of damage in the future.
According to him, without clear quality standards, rice damage could potentially become a burden for Bulog, causing losses in the management of government food reserves.
Firman revealed that the certification proposal has been submitted and has obtained a decision, with the hope that its implementation will strengthen the rice quality supervision system on an ongoing basis.
He expressed hope that the certification process will be carried out by independent institutions such as Sucofindo or universities with laboratories so that the assessment results are objective and trusted by all Bulog partners.
“However, regarding this certification, our hope is that it is carried out by an independent institution, not a subsidiary of Bulog,” he said.
Previously, President Director of Perum Bulog Ahmad Rizal Ramdhani affirmed that all rice mills serving as tolling partners must be certified starting in 2027 to improve the quality of government rice reserves (CBP).
According to Rizal, the certification policy is part of Bulog’s efforts to improve the quality standards of rice mills while ensuring all partners are able to produce rice that meets national quality requirements.
“So, this is us inviting fellow rice millers to improve their quality. Because in 2027, we will implement certification of rice mills. The goal is none other than to improve quality,” Rizal said when confirmed in Jakarta on Thursday (30/7).
He explained that only rice mills that pass certification are entitled to and meet the requirements to become Bulog tolling partners, while mills that do not pass cannot enter into cooperation.