RI readies 1 million tons of rice aid for 33.2 million beneficiaries

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3 hours ago

Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi (ANTARA) – The Indonesian government has prepared nearly 1 million metric tons of rice assistance targeting 33.2 million beneficiary families nationwide, Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan said.

While monitoring the distribution of food assistance in Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi, on Tuesday, he said the aid is prepared to help low income families meet their basic needs, particularly for rice.

The effort, he added, is aimed at boosting public confidence amid rising rice prices and implementing instructions from President Prabowo Subianto.

“Each beneficiary family will receive 10 kilograms per month for three months, distributed in a single 30-kilogram allocation covering October, November, and December,” he said.

He called the state logistics agency Bulog and local governments to immediately distribute the 1 million metric tons of rice to assist residents, especially as premium rice remains expensive and scarce due to drought-induced crop failures.

Zulkifli added that he has coordinated with the Minister of Finance and is awaiting administrative budget approval, which is expected within the next one to two days.

“In the past week or two, Bulog has begun distributing all the food assistance I mentioned earlier. This is our immediate priority. It’s classified as an emergency due to the drought,” he said.

The minister also emphasized the vital role of the agriculture and food sectors in public welfare, urging regional leaders, including governors, district heads, and mayors, to value and prioritize these sectors to maintain food security in their respective regions.

The October–December rice assistance follows earlier distributions conducted in February–March and July–September 2026.

For the July–September phase, total distribution reached around 967,500 metric tons as of September 30, according to National Food Agency (Bapanas) records.