KBRN, Jakarta: The Indonesian government has prepared emergency rice reserves of 20-50 tons at each airport and seaport across Sumatra, with additional supplies on standby at Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in Jakarta.

The measure is intended to accelerate the distribution of food aid to communities affected by floods and landslides in North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Aceh. The state-owned food logistics company Bulog has also mobilized its regional offices to ensure supplies are ready at disaster-hit locations.

Bulog President Director Ahmad Rizal Ramdhani announced the policy while inspecting rice stocks at Halim Perdanakusuma Airport on Sunday, December 14, 2025. “We have instructed all Bulog staff in disaster-affected areas, at airports and ports, to prepare at least 20 to 50 tons of rice,” Rizal said.

He explained that widespread flooding has cut off road access to several areas, including Bener Meriah, Takengon, Agam, and Central Tapanuli. As a result, air and sea routes have become the primary channels for delivering food assistance.

By placing rice directly at airports and ports, aid no longer needs to be shipped from distant warehouses, enabling faster, more responsive distribution during the emergency response period.

Bulog has enforced a minimum threshold of 20 tons to ensure daily availability. Rizal said the policy was implemented on December 11 after assessing the likelihood of a prolonged emergency response due to extensive infrastructure damage. “Every urgent need can be met immediately without significant logistical obstacles. The goal is rapid and accurate delivery,” he said.

In addition to rice, Bulog has ensured the availability of sugar and cooking oil to support public kitchens in disaster-affected regions. Rizal emphasized that logistics distribution is carried out as a rapid response without waiting for lengthy administrative procedures. “Without waiting for direct approval from the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, we acted quickly to ensure rice, oil, and sugar reached public kitchens immediately. This guarantees optimal service for disaster survivors,” he said.

Nationally, Bulog reported rice stocks of 3.7 million tons. For Sumatra, supplies are considered sufficient, with approximately 79,000 tons in Aceh, 29,000 tons in North Sumatra, and 7,000 tons in West Sumatra.

Bulog also plans to increase its reserves in West Sumatra by 20,000 to 30,000 tons to strengthen disaster-response capacity.

Rizal highlighted the importance of synergy among Bulog, the Indonesian Military (TNI), the National Police (Polri), the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), and regional disaster agencies (BPBD) to ensure smooth logistics distribution. The main challenge, however, remains the disruption of road access caused by extreme natural disasters.

“Thankfully, there have been no complaints regarding logistics so far. This is thanks to collaboration with the TNI, police, BPBD, and BNPB in ensuring aid reaches those in need,” Rizal said. (Misni Parjiati/Lasti Martina)