Kabapanas: Food Price Fluctuations During Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr Remain Stable
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Head of the National Food Agency (Kabapanas) and Minister of Agriculture, Andi Amran Sulaiman, has emphasised that food price fluctuations during Ramadan up to Eid al-Fitr 1447 Hijriah remain stable, thereby preserving public purchasing power.
“In line with the President’s instructions before Ramadan, food prices must not rise excessively. This is what we are maintaining,” said Amran in a statement received in Jakarta on Saturday.
He stated that there are currently nine strategic food commodities that have achieved self-sufficiency, including rice, consumption sugar, large chillies, bird’s eye chillies, maize, cooking oil, chicken meat, chicken eggs, and shallots.
“We have instructed everyone to release their stocks. Prices must not rise. If anyone increases them, I will revoke their permits,” Amran declared.
In addition, the government is collaboratively implementing various food intervention programmes.
The series of food intervention programmes launched during Ramadan up to Eid al-Fitr include the distribution of rice under the Stabilisation of Food Supply and Price (SPHP) programme, the Affordable Food Movement (GPM) across Indonesia, including the provision of food aid in the form of rice and cooking oil to 32.3 million beneficiary families.
Bapanas recorded that the realisation of SPHP rice sales up to 19 March has reached 42,300 tonnes. The total target for SPHP rice this year is 828,000 tonnes. Bapanas had previously proposed a budget for 1.5 million tonnes of SPHP rice.
However, after various considerations, including reviewing the previous year’s end-of-year SPHP rice realisation, the budget was set at Rp4.97 trillion, equivalent to a subsidy cost for 828,000 tonnes.
Meanwhile, the national GPM realisation for March has totalled 789 events at various locations in 24 provinces and 153 regencies/cities.
Not only the general GPM providing food, the government is also holding special GPMs offering premium-quality frozen chicken at prices in line with the Reference Selling Price (HAP).
This special GPM for frozen chicken is available at more than 1,200 outlets spread across 17 provinces and will continue until one day before Eid al-Fitr.
The programme is a collaboration between Bapanas and PT Charoen Pokphand Indonesia Tbk, PT Japfa Comfeed Indonesia, and PT Malindo Feedmill Tbk.
Other special GPMs are conducted with PT Perusahaan Perdagangan Indonesia (PPI) and PT Berdikari for beef and buffalo meat at more affordable prices.
Previously, President of the Republic of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto assured that his apparatus has exerted maximum effort to maintain and control food prices during Ramadan 2026.
The Head of State also appreciated the results of this collective effort as excellent and commendable work.
“With (the ongoing) war (in the Middle East), (there is a possibility) food prices could rise. But I want to ask, during this Ramadan, are domestic food prices under control or not? I think we are doing a good job,” the President responded to Najwa Shihab in the video programme ‘President Prabowo Answers!!!’ uploaded on Thursday (19/3).
Indonesia itself has been preparing far in advance to face potential external disruptions. The food sector, according to President Prabowo, is one of the essentials of the nation that must be guaranteed in sufficiency. Food sources must be met independently by the Indonesian nation.
“First, it’s food, eating. It’s a basic need. And there, I see, the common denominator, the fundamental issue, is always food. So that’s what influences me, so I see that if we want independence, we must guarantee our food sources,” said the President during a discussion with experts and journalists.
President Prabowo also expressed inspiration from the food self-sufficiency vision he has championed. He admitted to being moved by the initial steps initiated by Indonesia’s First President, Soekarno. In the early days of Indonesia’s independence, the food and agriculture sectors were the focus of development at that time.
“That’s also what Bung Karno said. When Bung Karno led the newly independent Indonesia, what he handled was actually food (and) agriculture. He who established IPB (Bogor Agricultural Institute). He who always said, the hungry stomach cannot wait,” said President Prabowo.