Indonesia’s Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman has said that national stocks of food are at safe levels ahead of the Ramadan Month, which is predicted to begin between the end of February and early March.
He emphasised that the government has been working toward adequate stocks of cooking oil, meat, and rice to keep their prices stable.
The official expressed optimism that the current stocks of basic goods would be sufficient for to meet the people's needs during the Islamic holy month.
Regarding rice, Sulaiman highlighted that Indonesia is expected to witness a boom in the production of the staple to up to 14 million tonnes in the first quarter of this year, as per Statistics Indonesia (BPS).
The government has decided to allocate a budget of 16.6 trillion IDR (over 1 billion USD) to state-run logistics company Bulog to purchase a large volume of rice projected to be produced by domestic farmers, he said, adding that the rice harvest period will last from February to April.
Earlier, Trade Minister Budi Santoso ensured stable food prices ahead of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr to maintain public purchasing power.
Indonesia’s trade ministry had issued import approval letters for feeder cattle, with some already arriving in Indonesia to meet the people’s demands. In addition, the ministry also plans to import 550,000 tonnes of garlic.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian Quarantine Agency has confirmed that nearly 2,800 cattle imported from Australia that arrived in Indonesia in early January are free of foot-and-mouth disease and lumpy skin disease (LSD) to meet meat needs during the Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr./.
