Perum Bulog: Premium Rice to be Utilised for Free Nutritious Meal Programme
Perum Bulog has stated that premium rice can be used to meet the requirements of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme, in accordance with government directives.
“Premium rice can also be used for the MBG,” said the President Director of Perum Bulog, Ahmad Rizal Ramdhani, following a coordination meeting at the Coordinating Ministry for Food in Jakarta on Tuesday.
He noted that the use of premium rice for MBG needs follows the instructions of the Minister of Agriculture, Andi Amran Sulaiman, and the Coordinating Minister for Food, Zulkifli Hasan.
Under the scheme explained by Bulog, this premium rice will carry the ‘Beras Kita Premium’ identity.
“Following the directions of the Minister of Agriculture and the Coordinating Minister, the MBG rice will remain premium rice. The packaging will be as follows, branded as Beras Kita Premium,” said Rizal.
On this occasion, Rizal also clarified that Bulog will not use a separate product labelled as fortified rice for the MBG supply described.
He did not provide specific details regarding the volume of premium rice to be allocated specifically for the MBG, the commencement date for distribution, or the distribution mechanism to the Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG).
Rizal explained that the premium rice produced by Bulog is a commercial product and does not utilise rice from public service obligation (PSO) schemes.
In early September 202<0xC2>6, the government agreed on the use of the ‘Beras Kita’ identity for government rice products, namely Beras Kita Medium and Beras Kita Premium.
Beras Kita Medium will serve as the new identity for the Food Supply and Price Stabilisation (SPHP) programme rice, while Beras Kita Premium will be Bulog’s premium product.
The packaging for Beras Kita Medium and Beras Kita Premium is scheduled to be launched on 20 October 2026.
Bulog stated that Beras Kita Premium is marketed without subsidies, unlike Beras Kita Medium, which is used within government programmes.
Separately, the Minister of Agriculture and Head of the National Food Agency, Andi Amran Sulaiman, emphasised on 15 September that fortified rice is generally not a substitute for premium rice, but rather a specialised food intended for vulnerable groups, including toddlers, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and the poor.
The National Food Agency is also tightening supervision of fortified rice after discovering products with nutritional claims that did not match laboratory test results.
A total of 25 problematic brands from 11 businesses have received warnings and were observed to have ceased production in early September.