Zulhas Says Catering for Indonesian Pilgrims Will Use Indonesian Rice
The Coordinating Ministry for Food Affairs announced that the government will export Indonesian rice for consumption by Indonesian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia. “The first shipment is scheduled to begin on 28th February 2026 to Jeddah,” said Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs, Zulkifli Hasan, in a written statement on Tuesday, 24th February 2026.
The statement was made by the man, known as Zulhas, after holding a limited coordination meeting to discuss the implementation of rice exports to Saudi Arabia, on Monday, 23rd February 2026.
According to data from the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah of the Republic of Indonesia, the number of regular pilgrims and staff in 2026 is recorded at 205,420 people. The total rice requirement is estimated at 2,280 tons.
This calculation is based on a rice consumption of 100 grams per pilgrim per meal, with a total of 111 meals during the Hajj operation in Mecca, Medina, and Armuzna. Zulkifli stated that the rice prepared is premium long-grain rice with a maximum breakage rate of 5 percent.
According to the politician from the National Mandate Party, 98 percent of catering providers are ready to use Indonesian rice as long as the price is in accordance with the contractual agreement. The delivery process will be carried out by the state-owned food company, Bulog. The state-owned enterprise has ordered ships to ensure that the distribution process is in accordance with the schedule.
In terms of quality assurance and compliance with the requirements of the destination country, Zulkifli stated that the Indonesian Quarantine Agency is conducting supervision through the issuance of Phytosanitary Certificates (PC), food safety inspections, and control of technical export risks.
The initial inspection results show that the rice is in good condition and meets administrative and technical requirements, including halal certification and health documents.
Zulkifli said that the meeting also discussed cross-ministerial/agency policy support, including the mechanism for using government rice reserves and the financing scheme that will be set in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
He said that this program is part of improving the quality of services for Indonesian pilgrims while strengthening Indonesia’s role in providing food that meets international quality and competitiveness standards.