Indonesia Strengthens Food Security with Main Rice Harvest

RRI.CO.ID, Kutai Kartanegara - Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture has confirmed that national food availability remains secure as the main rice harvest takes place across Indonesia at the end of March 2026.

Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman said current production ensures sufficient stock. Government Rice Reserves (CBP) in State Logistics Agency (Bulog) warehouses have exceeded 4 million tons and are projected to approach 5 million tons in the near future. He stated that this achievement strengthens national food security.

“Our food availability is very secure. The total national rice stock is sufficient for the next 324 days, so the public need not worry,” Minister Amran said, as quoted on the ministry’s official website.

Simultaneous harvests across several regions help maintain supply and stabilize food prices, particularly ahead of Nyepi and Eid al-Fitr, preventing significant price increases.

In Kutai Kartanegara Regency, East Kalimantan, rice harvesting took place in Mulawarman Village, Tenggarong Seberang Subdistrict, as part of the village-based Food Security Program.

The program, involving Village-Owned Enterprises (BUMDes) and farmer groups, manages 350 hectares of land with 350 farmers. The collaboration between the village administration, BUMDes, farmer groups, and the private sector serves as an example of strengthening region-based food production.

Kutai Kartanegara Regent Aulia Rahman Basri said the successful harvest is part of regional economic transformation toward strengthening the agricultural sector.

“Today’s harvest is tangible evidence of our commitment to making Kutai Kartanegara the food barn of East Kalimantan. We currently have 13,000 hectares of productive rice fields. Our future goal is to increase productivity from 5 tons to 6 tons per hectare through extensification and mechanization,” Aulia said on Wednesday, March 25, 2026.

The Ministry's Director General of Food Crops, Yudi Sastro, emphasized the importance of expanding cultivated areas and increasing productivity as strategies to sustain production. “Expanding the planted area is a key strategy to maintain stability in rice production. Intensification must also be improved by raising productivity,” he said.

The Ministry of Agriculture continues to support farmers with agricultural tools and machinery to improve efficiency and productivity. With the widespread harvest, the government remains optimistic that national rice production will be maintained, strengthening reserves and ensuring stable prices in a sustainable manner. ***