MP: Rice Stock Security Must Lead to Price Stability
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian House of Representatives member Azis Subekti stated that the national rice stock exceeding 5 million tonnes must be accompanied by a strong supply chain that ultimately leads to price stability.
“All achievements must ultimately lead to one thing: stable prices; because that is where the people feel the presence of the state,” Azis said in a statement received in Jakarta on Monday.
According to him, the 5.23 million tonne rice reserve managed by Perum Bulog reflects the state’s capacity to maintain food security at a level never achieved before.
“In a relatively short time, this stock has increased sharply. Compared to two years ago, the jump is even more than double,” he said.
Alongside the relatively secure rice stock, Azis also highlighted the shift towards food self-sufficiency. He noted that the current rice stock comes from the absorption of domestic farmer production.
This condition, he said, shows a change in direction from the previous uncertainty faced by Indonesian farmers.
“When the state buys, farmers dare to plant. When farmers plant, production increases. When production increases, Bulog absorbs. When Bulog absorbs, the national stock strengthens,” he said.
However, Azis emphasised that rice self-sufficiency does not stop at the amount of stock in warehouses. “It is tested in the market because the people do not feel the 5 million tonne figure; the people feel the price at the stall,” he stated.
At that level, he assessed that the strength of the supply chain is the determinant. High production, according to him, must be followed by precise distribution.
The large rice stock needs to be accompanied by fast and efficient logistics movement. Without that, the state could have abundant reserves, but prices remain volatile in various regions.
“Global experience shows this. Many countries have large production but fail to maintain price stability due to weak distribution, logistics, and market governance,” Azis said.
According to him, self-sufficiency is not just about production, but about the ability to build a complete national food system.
He believes Indonesia is beginning to move towards more integrative policy leadership, not stopping at planning but also ensuring implementation.
“Ultimately, self-sufficiency is not about the state feeling sufficient, but about the people no longer feeling deprived,” Azis said.
Previously, Perum Bulog’s President Director Ahmad Rizal Ramdhani stated that the national rice stock managed by the company has reached 5.23 million tonnes to maintain food security safely until next year.
“For all of Indonesia, the Bulog stock (government rice reserve managed) has now reached 5.23 million tonnes and this can cover our food security until next year,” Rizal said in Jakarta on Thursday (7/5).
He assured that the availability of this stock is sufficient to face potential food production disruptions, including drought threats due to the El Niño phenomenon expected in the middle to end of next year.