Jakarta (VNA) – The Indonesian government aims to keep national rice reserves at about 4 million tonnes through 2029, bolstered by the 2026 harvest, which is projected to start earlier than normal, in February.
National rice production is projected to be 5-10% higher than the previous year due to the accelerated harvest timeline.
While the nationwide harvest usually begins in March, this year it is expected to start in February and continue through April with higher projected yields, Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan remarked in Jakarta on January 12.
Speaking after a coordination meeting, he emphasised that this surplus has prompted the government to expand storage facilities, as current state-run logistics company Bulog warehouse capacity remains suboptimal.
President Prabowo Subianto has ordered the construction of approximately 100 new warehouses for Bulog, with the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) set to help expedite the process. Hasan underlined the decision to mobilise the Red and White Village Cooperatives (KDMP) to serve as local custodians and distributors of rice across various regions.
Meanwhile, Minister of Cooperatives Ferry Juliantono reported that infrastructure is being developed for 26,000 of the more than 80,000 KDMPs established nationwide. The development is ongoing and projected to be completed by April, with an inventory of land currently being finalised for construction sites, Juliantono said.
As a flagship initiative of President Prabowo, the KDMP programme aims to achieve 13 core objectives, including rural empowerment, job creation, and poverty alleviation.
The programme is also designed to stabilise inflation and improve farmers' exchange rates by ensuring better access to essential commodities./.
