VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

President Director of the State Logistics Agency (BULOG) Budi Waseso addressing a press conference in Jakarta on Tuesday (December 28, 2021). ANTARA/Aditya Ramadhan - 

Indonesia has not imported rice for meeting domestic demand and government buffer stock needs for three years in a row, according to the government-owned State Logistics Agency (BULOG).

"For the last three years, our buffer stock is never procured through any import scheme. I also wish to reiterate President Joko Widodo's statement that we are indeed not importing rice to fulfill our buffer stock," President Director of BULOG Budi Waseso stated at a press conference in Jakarta on Tuesday.

The company absorbed around 1.2 million tons of rice produced by Indonesian farmers in 2021 alone, and reduced the necessity for importing rice from foreign countries over the last three years, he said.

"I attribute our success in absorbing rice produced by local farmers to the tireless efforts of the national BULOG network during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our decision to purchase rice from local farmers also helped them to sell their products and us to maintain our non-import stance for three years," Waseso informed.

Waseso reiterated BULOG's readiness for absorbing the national rice production, which is projected by Statistics Indonesia (BPS) to reach 11.61 million tons by the first quarter of 2022, to maintain price stability and stock availability in the country.

"Besides fulfilling the government's buffer stock (needs), purchasing rice from local rice farmers will also boost economic activities among farmers, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic," he said.

Besides maintaining price stability for farmers, BULOG has also played role in ensuring price stability for consumers by distributing almost 700 thousand tons of rice under market intervention programs to improve rice supply and price stability, the president director stated.

The government has also tasked BULOG with distributing 28.8 million tons of rice to families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and who are eligible to receive government benefits, he added.

Additionally, the state-owned company has distributed self-produced fortified rice for 2,150 infants in seven provinces to reduce stunting prevalence and 8,500 tons of rice under disaster response missions in 2021, Waseso disclosed//ANT