South Sulawesi Rice Stocks Reach 761,000 Tonnes, More Than Double Last Year's Levels

The Head of the Bulog Regional Office for South Sulawesi and West Sulawesi, Fahrurozi, revealed that the office has recorded rice stocks of 761,000 tonnes. This figure represents the highest in history, surging compared to the same period last year, which was around 300,000 tonnes, with procurement running at full capacity. This number is claimed to be the all-time record for Bulog’s operations in the South and West Sulawesi region. Fahrurozi stated that in the same period the previous year, rice stocks were only around 300,000 tonnes. This more than twofold increase has occurred alongside the optimisation of domestic paddy/rice procurement. “These 761,000 tonnes of stocks are the highest in history. Last year, it was only around 300,000 tonnes. Now, procurement is running at full capacity,” said Fahrurozi to Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman at the Bulog Warehouse and Rice Processing Unit of the Makassar Branch, South Sulawesi, Jalan Urip Sumohardjo, on Sunday (5/4). This condition aligns with the statement from the Minister of Agriculture and Head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas), Andi Amran Sulaiman, who previously mentioned that national stocks have reached 4.5 million tonnes. Amran also stated that Bulog warehouses across various regions are full, forcing the government to lease additional warehouses. He added that with these abundant stocks, Bulog South Sulawesi and West Sulawesi is ready to support regional food security while serving as a buffer for other deficient areas. “The stocks in South Sulawesi can be sent to regions with low rice production. Meanwhile, Indonesia now has around 4.5 million tonnes. This is the highest since the republic was founded. So, there’s no need to doubt it,” said Amran. The government has leased additional warehouses with a capacity of 2 million tonnes and plans to lease more, given the projection of national stocks reaching 5 million tonnes in the next 10-20 days. For the South Sulawesi and West Sulawesi region itself, Fahrurozi assured that the 761,000 tonnes of stocks are entirely stored in Bulog warehouses, both owned and leased. He also added that the excess stocks in South Sulawesi and West Sulawesi are ready to be sent to other regions with lower rice production, such as Kalimantan, Maluku, and Papua. “It can be sent to areas where rice production is somewhat low. This is sent to Kalimantan, Papua—but Papua is already starting because of Merauke—Maluku,” said Amran.