Bekasi. President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo delivered rice aid to families in Cikarang Barat, Bekasi, West Java, as part of his official visit to the region on Friday. In his speech at the Bulog warehouse in Cibitung, the President said the rice aid program, which provides 10 kg of rice monthly to vulnerable families, is being considered for an extension until June, extending beyond the initial plan of April.

"Currently, a global food crisis is causing rice prices to rise, but in our country, we assist our people with this 10 kg monthly rice aid. This assistance will be distributed until June, and further decisions will depend on the state budget conditions," President Jokowi said.

On Thursday, President Jokowi inspected the government rice reserves at the Cipinang Wholesale Market in Jakarta and told reporters, "I want to ensure that the rice here is available, the quantity is sufficient, and I see it in abundance."

Jokowi acknowledged there were supply issues causing rice shortages and price spikes in the market, but these have already been resolved by the State Logistic Agency (Bulog).

Meanwhile, the President Director of Bulog, Bayu Krisnamurthi, reassured that Bulog has sufficiently prepared government rice reserve stocks for the rice aid program.

"The rice stock under Bulog's control currently totals 1.4 million tons and is more than enough for distributing rice aid until June, ensuring supply stability, and meeting the demands of the fasting month and Eid," Bayu stated.

The Head of the National Food Agency, Arief Prasetyo Adi, accompanying the President, added that the distribution of rice aid has resumed nationwide since Thursday after a break during the 2024 election cooling-off period.

"The aid distribution resumes after the election, and I want to emphasize that this program is not related to any political interests," said Arief.

Bapanas Secretary Sarwo Edhy explained at least two main factors contributing to the soaring rice prices in the market, namely the high production costs and the impact of the 2023 El Nino, causing delayed planting season.

"Last year, the impact of El Nino caused drought, and there was also a shortage of water, resulting in reduced harvests, thus pushing prices up," said Sarwo Edhy in Bandung on Thursday.

Sarwo added that the government plans to import 2 million tons of rice from Thailand this year to address the surging rice prices.

"Last year, import was 2.8 million tons, and this year, the plan is 2 million tons. However, if domestic production is sufficient, imports may not be necessary," he said.

The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) reported that Indonesia imported 443,000 tons of rice worth $279.2 million in January 2024. This figure rose by 135.12 percent compared to January 2023, amounting to $118.7 million. The top five rice-importing countries with the largest contributions in January 2024 were Thailand (237,000 tons), Pakistan (129,700 tons), Myanmar (41,000 tons), Vietnam (32,000 tons), and Cambodia (2,500 tons).

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