Jakarta. Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman has approved Aceh Governor Muzakir Manaf’s request for 10,000 tons of rice to support communities affected by severe floods and landslides across the province.

The decision forms part of the central government’s rapid response to the ongoing emergency in Sumatra, where weeks of heavy rain have disrupted livelihoods and damaged farmland.

“We have approved the 10,000-ton request from Governor Mualem for Aceh. This is a special allocation for post-disaster recovery, and our national rice stock is more than sufficient, we’ve prepared three times the amount requested,” Amran said on Monday.

He noted that Bulog’s national rice inventory reached 3.68 million tons as of December 8, the highest level in a decade and far above the typical year-end range of 1.2 million to 1.5 million tons.

“With 3.68 million tons, we have triple the national monthly requirement. The 10,000-ton request is very small compared to our stock. Aceh will be fully supported, and Indonesia remains safe through the March–April 2026 harvest,” he said.

The request followed Aceh’s efforts to manage the disaster’s impact, which has caused casualties and disrupted agricultural infrastructure. During a limited meeting with President Prabowo Subianto at the Sultan Iskandar Muda Air Force Base on December 7, Governor Mualem outlined urgent needs, including stabilizing prices of rice, clean water, and LPG. Prabowo’s back-to-back visits to Aceh on December 7–8 accelerated coordination between the national and regional governments.

Governor Mualem thanked the central government for its swift response.

“We appreciate the attention from the President. His presence motivates the community and regional officials to speed up on-ground recovery,” he said.

Amran added that Bulog’s Aceh division will distribute the 10,000 tons this week through the food assistance and price stabilization (SPHP) scheme to ensure targeted delivery and affordable rice in the province.

The assistance complements an initial allocation of 10,614 tons for Aceh under a national emergency program supplying 34,000 tons of rice across Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.

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