Jakarta. Indonesia’s rice stockpile has reached a new milestone, with government reserves surpassing 4 million tons as of May 2025, fueled by a sharp increase in domestic procurement from farmers.

According to Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman, the government had absorbed 2.4 million tons of rice from local farmers by May 29, boosted further by carry-over stocks from the previous year.

“This extraordinary achievement reflects a strategic breakthrough initiated by President Prabowo Subianto, who has issued directives to strengthen production and simplify farming processes,” Andi said during a press conference in Jakarta on Friday.

He credited President Prabowo’s administration for setting favorable purchasing policies, including a government purchase price of Rp 6,500 per kilogram for dry unhusked rice (gabah kering), which has allowed farmers to benefit from profitable selling prices even during peak harvest seasons.

Data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) show that national rice production between January and May 2025 reached an estimated 16.55 million tons -- a significant 11.95 percent increase from the same period last year.

By the end of May, the state logistics agency Bulog had secured over 2.4 million tons of locally produced rice, compared to the five-year average for the same period, which hovered around 1.2 million tons.

“Bulog’s strategy of directly sourcing rice from farmers has proven highly effective -- not only in strengthening our national reserves, but also in providing price stability and guaranteed markets for local growers,” Andi added.