South Sumatra Governor assures rice stocks secure until July 2027
South Sumatra Governor Herman Deru has assured that rice availability in the region is secure until July 2027, despite shortages of 5 kilogram packaged rice at several retail points.
“The rice most widely consumed by the public is the 5 kg package. We have responded to the shortage by checking the Bulog warehouse. It turns out Bulog’s stock readiness in the warehouse is sufficient, even until July 2027,” said Herman Deru in Palembang on Friday.
He explained that the stock does not yet account for additional supply from the ongoing harvest by farmers in several parts of South Sumatra.
A number of rice fields with a cropping index of 200 are still entering the harvest period even though South Sumatra is currently facing the dry season.
“At present, the harvest in fields with a cropping index of 200 is underway amid this dry season. So later the rice stock in Bulog’s warehouse will continue to grow,” he explained.
Given these conditions, he asked the public not to worry and to buy rice according to their needs, as South Sumatra is not experiencing a rice shortage.
In addition to ensuring supply availability, he also highlighted rice prices at the consumer level, particularly for medium-grade rice.
The Governor also asked the public to help monitor medium-grade rice prices and to report if they find selling prices above Rp12,500 per kilogram.
“If you find medium-grade rice sold above Rp12,500, report it. You can report to the village head, sub-district head, or all law enforcement officers that they are manipulating the selling price,” he said.
“Therefore, once again, the public should not be afraid or engage in panic buying. Buy only what will be consumed,” he added.
To maintain price stability and ensure supply reaches the public, he also requested that market operations continue to be intensified throughout August.
The Trade Office and Perum Bulog were asked to go directly to the field to monitor supply conditions and rice prices.
In addition, he will coordinate with the Commander of Military Regional Command II/Sriwijaya and the South Sumatra Police Chief so that market operations can be carried out jointly.
With these measures, the regional government hopes that the shortage of 5 kg packaged rice at several retail points will not develop into concerns that drive excessive purchasing among the public.
Perum Bulog Regional Office for South Sumatra and Bangka Belitung has confirmed that rice availability in South Sumatra is in a secure condition, with warehouse stock reaching 116,000 tonnes.