Head of the National Food Agency (NFA) Arief Prasetyo Adi has appealed to rice millers in Indonesia to prioritize sales to the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) to help meet the government’s rice reserve target.

He made the request while speaking at a meeting of the Indonesian Rice Millers and Entrepreneurs Association (Perpadi)-East Java chapter in Kota Batu, East Java, on November 18, 2022, according to an NFA press statement that ANTARA received here on Thursday.

Increasing the rice reserve stocks to 1.2 million tons at Bulog will not be easy, but it could be achieved through synergistic collaboration with related stakeholders in the food sector, he said.

Among the stakeholders who could make a significant contribution are rice millers. Therefore, Adi urged them to prioritize sales to Bulog as part of their contribution to the nation’s endeavors to maintain food security.

“To meet the target (of 1.2 million tons), I urge Perpadi to become the government’s partners for strengthening the national availability of rice stocks,” he said.

The step would not accord any personal benefit, rather, it would involve sacrificing for the sake of the nation and state.

“Let us work together to make our noble goal of making prosperous farmers, profitable traders, and smiling communities,” he remarked.

He further said that he has communicated with the National Police’s Food Task Force, regional administrations, and the Agriculture Ministry in this regard.

President Joko Widodo has also called on all stakeholders in Indonesia’s food sector to build and strengthen synergistic collaboration to maintain the country’s food security, Adi noted.

Besides collaborating with Perpadi, the NFA has also taken several measures by pushing supplies of rice for Bulog from the provinces of West Java, Central Java, Yogyakarta, and East Java.

Along with the Agriculture Ministry, regional offices of agriculture, and food task forces in the provinces, a commitment has been forged to provide 247 thousand tons of rice in November-December 2022, he informed.

To secure the government’s rice reserve stock next year, Adi said the rice absorption could be optimized in the first half during the harvest season.

Meanwhile, chairperson of Perpadi-East Java chapter, Hendra Tan, said that rice millers from Perpadi, East Java, will do their utmost to support the NFA in meeting the government’s rice reserve target.

“We are striving to gather our members to deliver their rice stocks inventory optimally to help fulfill the targeted rice reserve stock of 1.2 million tons, and 100 thousand tons for East Java,” he said.

Source: Antara News