Indonesia Currently Maintains Large Rice Reserves

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesian government boosts rice distribution through Food Supply and Price Stabilization Program (SPHP) to help contain rice price inflation and maintain supplies for consumers across the country. The National Food Agency (Bapanas) has instructed state-owned food company Perum Bulog to distribute an additional 74,180 tons of SPHP rice.

Bapanas Head Andi Amran Sulaiman said the additional allocation is equivalent to 14.83 million packages of five-kilogram SPHP rice. “To maintain rice inflation, the government through Bapanas has instructed Perum Bulog to increase the allocation of SPHP rice by 74.18 thousand tons,” Amran said in Jakarta on Sunday, October 4, 2026.

The additional allocation requires a budget of 409 billion rupiahs, with Bulog given until November 20, 2026, to complete the distribution. The new assignment follows the distribution of 828,000 tons of SPHP rice, which was fully completed on September 23, 2026.

Amran also said the government’s rice stocks currently stand at 4.48 million tons, up 14.8 percent from 3.9 million tons recorded in September 2025. He added that Indonesia is currently maintaining large rice reserves while expanding market interventions and food assistance to help secure domestic supplies.

The government’s total rice distribution through the Government Rice Reserve has also increased significantly compared with the same period last year. As of September 2026, total distribution had reached 2.73 million tons, up 245 percent from 790,800 tons recorded in September 2025.

Meanwhile, Statistics Indonesia (BPS) Deputy for Distribution and Services Statistics Ateng Hartono said rice price fluctuations in September were largely linked to reduced supplies following the end of the peak harvest season. “The increase in rice prices in September 2026 was mainly influenced by reduced rice supplies after the peak harvest season ended, along with drier conditions associated with the El Niño phenomenon,” Ateng said.

BPS said drier conditions also affected the supply of paddy to rice mills in several production centers, potentially disrupting the agricultural supply chain. Despite the impact of El Niño, the agency estimates that Indonesia’s harvested rice area from January to November 2026 will reach 10.56 million hectares, higher than the 9.86 million hectares recorded in 2023 and 9.69 million hectares in 2024.

Ateng also highlighted a positive development for rice farmers, with the price index received by rice farmers reaching 155.61 in September 2026. The figure represents the highest level recorded over the past eight years, indicating stronger prices received by farmers even as the government works to maintain affordable rice supplies for consumers.