New Rules for Absorbing Paddy: Harvest Must Be Timely

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, KARAWANG — Bulog is tightening paddy absorption standards in line with the implementation of Presidential Instruction No. 4 of 2026 on the Procurement and Management of Domestic Paddy/Rice as well as the Distribution of Government Rice Reserves for 2026-2029. Supervision is carried out from the harvesting stage to ensure rice quality is maintained.

Perum Bulog’s President Director, Ahmad Rizal Ramdhani, stated that the absorbed paddy must have reached harvesting age. This provision is the focus of the new policy.

“In Presidential Instruction No. 4 of 2026, there is an emphasis that the harvested paddy must be in ready-to-harvest condition, meaning it has entered the harvesting age,” said Rizal in Karawang, West Java, on Thursday (23/4/2026).

Bulog involves field agricultural extension workers and Babinsa to monitor harvesting in production centres. This step is taken to ensure no paddy is harvested too early.

“That’s why we involve PPL and Babinsa in the field to ensure that the harvested paddy is not still green or has not yet entered the harvesting period,” Rizal explained.

According to Rizal, this policy is already impacting the quality of rice entering the warehouses. The absorption results are assessed to show better conditions.

“Now the condition is already looking good. The results are also good,” said Rizal.

On the other hand, the increase in national rice production is driving the need for additional storage capacity. Bulog’s warehouses, including rented ones, are currently full.

The government is preparing the construction of 100 new warehouses to strengthen food storage infrastructure. Technology from the National Research and Innovation Agency will be used to extend the shelf life of rice.

“These warehouses will follow technological developments. The Head of BRIN stated that rice can last up to two years with the technology applied in the warehouses,” said Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs, Zulkifli Hasan.