To guard against inflation, Bapanas: Government accelerates rice aid distribution

The government is accelerating the distribution of rice food aid so that it is completed by September 2026. “If it can be pushed through in September, we believe it will be able to control rice prices.”

Jakarta (ANTARA) — The National Food Agency (Bapanas) has stated that the government is accelerating the distribution of rice food aid until completion in September 2026 in order to guard against inflation, stabilise rice prices, and strengthen people’s access to food.

“The government is accelerating the distribution of rice food aid so that it is completed by September 2026. If it can be pushed through in September, we believe it will be able to control rice prices,” said I Gusti Ketut Astawa, Deputy for Food Availability and Stabilisation at Bapanas, when contacted in Jakarta on Tuesday.

According to him, accelerating the distribution is important in order to maintain rice price stability while strengthening the reach of food supplies to the public.

“The sooner the benefits of government intervention are felt by communities across the regions,” he said.

The government sees the accelerated food aid as an important instrument in maintaining a balance between supply and demand among the public. Faster distribution is expected to strengthen rice availability at the community level whilst helping to reduce pressure on prices.

The rice food aid is being distributed for a three-month allocation — July, August, and September 2026 — to 33.24 million food aid recipients (PBP) across Indonesia.

Each PBP will receive 10 kg of rice per month. The accelerated distribution will be carried out in a single delivery, so each PBP will receive 30 kg of rice.

The government, through Bapanas, has officially assigned state logistics firm Perum Bulog to distribute Government Food Reserves (CPP) for the food aid period of July, August, and September 2026, targeting 33,244,408 food aid recipients (PBP).

The second phase of the pro-people rice food aid programme is one of President Prabowo Subianto’s directives. A total of 997,200 tonnes of rice will be distributed to 33,244,408 PBP, with each receiving 10 kg per month over a three-month allocation.

The first phase of the food aid programme, covering the February and March 2026 allocation, successfully reached 33.14 million food aid recipients, or 99.7 per cent of the 33.24 million PBP target. A total of 664,880 tonnes of rice and 132,970 kilolitres of cooking oil were distributed.