Jakarta (VNA) – The Indonesian government is stepping up supervision of rice distribution to ensure food security, stabilise prices and prevent speculation and market manipulation.
Head of Indonesia’s National Food Agency (Bapanas) and Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman said authorities are addressing a number of irregularities in the food sector, including the activities of so-called “food cartels” believed to influence rice prices and consumer markets.
He stressed that tighter monitoring remains necessary despite the country’s currently secure rice supply. As of mid-May, rice reserves managed by Indonesia’s State Logistics Agency (Bulog) had reached around 5.3 million tonnes.
Data from Statistics Indonesia showed that national rice production in the January–May period is projected at 16.8 million tonnes, while consumption demand is estimated at 12.8 million tonnes, creating a surplus of nearly 4 million tonnes.
Bapanas is also intensifying inspections of fortified rice products and plans to conduct laboratory tests to verify micronutrient content, including vitamins B1 and B12, folic acid, iron and zinc.
Earlier, President Prabowo Subianto signed Presidential Decree No. 19/2025 on the establishment of a coordinating team to oversee food, energy and water self-sufficiency programmes. The team is tasked with monitoring, evaluating and coordinating policies among ministries, agencies and local administrations.
The government is also maintaining policies to protect farmers through a minimum purchasing price mechanism for unhusked rice.
The government expects its food self-sufficiency programme to support the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) initiative, which targets around 82.9 million beneficiaries, while creating stable demand for domestic agricultural products./.
