Indonesia rice reserves sufficient until May 2027: Minister

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's rice reserves have exceeded 5 million metric tons and are sufficient to meet domestic demand until May 2027, National Food Agency Head and Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman said on Wednesday.

Amran said the reserves provide a strong buffer against the potential impact of El Nino, as the government has strengthened national food stocks, particularly rice, to safeguard supply and maintain price stability.

"We prepared well in advance to face El Nino. Based on our experience in 2023, we managed to get through it. As of today, our stock stands at between 5.2 million and 5.3 million metric tons. That is the highest stock level in our history," Amran said in a statement.

He said Indonesia's rice supply is expected to remain secure through December 2026 and continue meeting national demand until May 2027.

"God willing, we are secure through December. In fact, our rice stocks will be sufficient until May 2027. So there is no problem," he said.

The outlook is supported by the latest Rice Food Balance Projection, updated in early June, which estimates year-end rice stocks at 16.24 million metric tons.

The projection is based on opening stocks of 12.54 million metric tons in 2026, combined with annual rice production estimated at 34.76 million metric tons and annual consumption projected at 31.1 million metric tons.

With year-end stocks projected at 16.24 million metric tons, Indonesia would have enough rice to meet domestic consumption needs for about five months in 2027. Stock levels are expected to rise further in March and April as the country enters its main harvest season.

Amran acknowledged the possibility of a slight decline in rice production this year. Statistics Indonesia projects rice production in January-July 2026 to be 0.08 million metric tons lower than in the same period of 2025.

However, he said the impact would be limited, noting that Indonesia recorded a rice production surplus of around 4 million metric tons last year.

"Assume production falls by 0.2 percent by year-end, or around 80,000 metric tons. We would still have a surplus of 4 million metric tons over two years," Amran said.

The projected surplus could be absorbed into government rice reserves managed by state food procurement agency Perum Bulog, potentially increasing strategic stockpiles as domestic rice production continues to expand.

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Translator: Muhammad Harianto, Martha Herlinawati Simanjuntak

Editor: Primayanti

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