National Food Agency Head confirms rice stocks secure until May next year

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Head of the National Food Agency and Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman has confirmed that Indonesia’s government rice reserves (CBP) are secure until May 2027, with stockpiles surpassing 5 million tonnes. Amran stated that the stock serves as a strong foundation for facing the potential El Niño weather phenomenon, as the government had taken early anticipatory steps by strengthening national food reserves, particularly rice, to maintain supply and price stability. “We indeed prepared well in advance to face El Niño. We had previous experience with it in 2023. Alhamdulillah, we got through it. Our stock at this moment is 5.2 to 5.3 million tonnes. That is the highest stock in history. So, Alhamdulillah, this is quite good,” Amran said in a statement in Jakarta on Wednesday. Amran is optimistic that Indonesia’s rice availability will remain safe until December. In his estimation, the overall rice stock can even last until May next year. “Insya Allah it is safe, let’s say until December. In fact, our rice is sufficient until May (2027). So, there is no problem,” Amran added. This aligns with the updated Food Balance Sheet projection for early June. The year-end rice balance for Indonesia is estimated to still have a stock of 16.24 million tonnes. This figure is derived from the initial stock of 12.54 million tonnes at the start of 2026, plus projected annual production of 34.76 million tonnes, minus annual consumption needs of 31.1 million tonnes. With this projected year-end balance of 16.24 million tonnes, it is deemed sufficient to meet national consumption needs for approximately five months into 2027. Moreover, national rice stocks are expected to increase further in March and April with the arrival of the main harvest season. Nevertheless, Amran noted the possibility of a slight decline in rice production in 2026, albeit minimal. This refers to data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS) reporting that total rice production for January-July 2026 is projected to decrease by 0.08 million tonnes compared to the total production for January-July 2025. “Last year, the production surplus was 4 million tonnes. Suppose by the end of the year it drops by 0.2 percent, roughly 80 thousand tonnes. But there is still a surplus of 4 million tonnes over two years. Don’t just compare the 0.2 percent to last year, because last year had already risen significantly. That surplus is 4 million tonnes,” Amran explained. The predicted production surplus of 4 million tonnes in 2026 can serve as an absorption target for the CBP stock managed by state logistics company Perum Bulog. The CBP stock can thus be further boosted in line with the acceleration of national rice production.