Indonesia distributes 7.7 mln tons of rice reserves in 2023-2025

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia distributed 7.75 million metric tons of government rice reserves between 2023 and 2025 to stabilize food supplies and prices while strengthening national food security, the National Food Agency said on Saturday.

I Gusti Ketut Astawa, Deputy for Food Availability and Stabilization at the National Food Agency (Bapanas), said the reserves, managed jointly with state logistics company Perum Bulog, were continuously deployed to support consumers and maintain market stability.

"Total government rice reserves distributed between 2023 and 2025 reached 7.75 million tons," Ketut said when confirmed in Jakarta.

He said the distribution formed part of broader government efforts to safeguard food stability and strengthen household purchasing power amid fluctuations in food markets.

Government rice reserve distribution totaled 2.76 million tons in 2023 before rising to 3.37 million tons in 2024. Distribution in 2025 reached 1.62 million tons.

Ketut said the program was designed to provide an economic buffer for households while improving access to affordable rice.

The government has distributed rice reserves through multiple programs, including the rice supply and price stabilization program, known as SPHP, and food assistance for 33.2 million beneficiary families.

"Distribution is also intended to help communities affected by natural disasters," Ketut said.

Rice reserve distribution in 2023 consisted of 1.49 million tons for food assistance, 1.18 million tons for the SPHP program, 87,500 tons for budget allocation groups, and 2,300 tons for emergency response.

In 2024, distribution included 1.97 million tons for food assistance, 1.4 million tons for SPHP, and 442 tons for emergency response.

In 2025, SPHP accounted for the largest share at 802,900 tons, followed by food assistance at 710,780 tons, budget allocation groups at 92,100 tons, and emergency response at 13,160 tons.

Ketut said the government would continue these programs in 2026 while strengthening rice reserves entirely through domestic procurement from farmers.

"Currently, the government is focusing on absorbing our farmers' harvests for government rice reserves. This effort must be continuously implemented to ensure stability from upstream to downstream," he said.

As of June 18, 2026, distribution under the 2026 budget had reached 946,800 tons, comprising 550,100 tons for food assistance, 348,500 tons for SPHP, 36,800 tons for budget allocation groups, and 11,300 tons for emergency response.

The government has also decided to extend rice food assistance by an additional three months during the second half of this year, Ketut said.

Bulog's rice stock stood at 5.2 million tons as of June 18, sourced largely from domestic procurement, which had reached 3.18 million tons since the start of 2026.

The stock was also supported by the remaining 3.24 million tons carried over from the end of 2025, when domestic procurement totaled 3.43 million tons without any imports.

National Food Agency Head and Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman said Indonesia's rice stock had reached a record high, eliminating the need for imports.

"Our warehouse capacity is 3 million tons. We have rented an additional 2.3 million tons, the highest level since independence. We are now in surplus. We have achieved self-sufficiency," Amran said.

Indonesia's rice production performance was also highlighted in the May 2026 Rice Outlook report issued by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The USDA reported that global rice production in the 2025-2026 period rose by 1.5 million tons, from 541.3 million tons in April to 542.8 million tons in May.

Indonesia was listed alongside Nigeria, Ivory Coast, and Vietnam as one of the countries recording the highest annual increases in rice production.

However, among those countries, only Indonesia posted annual rice production exceeding 30 million tons. Nigeria produced 5.9 million tons, Ivory Coast 1.7 million tons, and Vietnam 26.2 million tons.

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Translator: Muhammad Harianto, Martha Herlinawati Simanjuntak

Editor: Azis Kurmala

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