National Food Agency to Closely Monitor Food Stocks and Affordability Amid Rupiah Weakening
The government continues to safeguard food supply availability and price affordability through continuous monitoring to anticipate the impact of the rupiah’s weakening against the US dollar on the national food sector.
Andriko Noto Susanto, Deputy for Consumption Diversification and Food Security at the National Food Agency (Bapanas), stated that the government will persistently monitor various developments that could potentially affect national food conditions to ensure that supply and price stability are well-maintained.
“There are government efforts in place; this [the weakening of the rupiah] is certainly being monitored. Our target is the stabilisation of food supply and prices,” said Andriko during the 2026 World Food Safety Day commemoration at the Bapanas office in Jakarta on Monday.
He explained that these monitoring measures are part of the government’s efforts to ensure that the public maintains access to sufficient food at affordable prices across various regions. Bapanas emphasised that the government’s primary objective is to maintain sustainable food supply and price stability at both the producer and consumer levels to prevent volatility that could disadvantage either party.
Food stabilisation, in this context, involves ensuring the availability of supplies in the market while keeping prices at a reasonable level for all business actors. “Stability means stable supply and stable prices, both at the producer and consumer levels, which we are continuously striving for,” he asserted.
The government is also closely observing commodity prices at the producer level to ensure that farmers and food sector businesses continue to receive profitable economic value. For instance, Andriko noted that the Minister of Agriculture, who also serves as the Head of the National Food Agency, held discussions on Monday regarding fresh fruit bunch (FFB) prices for oil palm to ensure that the prices received by producers remain fair.
In managing commodity prices, the central and regional governments are performing their respective roles to create more effective and measurable governance. In addition to palm oil, the government is also open to evaluating the maximum retail price (HET) for cooking oil, which falls under the authority of the Ministry of Trade, in accordance with market developments. Bapanas emphasised that all these steps are part of the government’s efforts to maintain national food stability through supervision and policy responses tailored to the community’s conditions. “Therefore, the government continues to monitor what is happening within the community,” concluded Andriko.