Agricom.id, JAKARTA - Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo (SYL) confirmed that the daily needs heading to Christmas and New Year 2021 are in control. SYL thought that Indonesia has enough stocks within the continuous production.

“There are 11 kinds of daily basic needs that we control. Everything is in good condition. We have rice, corn, sugar, meat, and others. Insya Allah, they are in good condition heading to the end of this year,” SYL said, Tuesday (22/11/2020) as in the official statement to Agricom.id.

He also mentioned that the good stocks of 11 commodities happened for everyone’s hard work, including the coordination with Perum Bulog and Ministry of Trade Indonesian Republic directly led by Coordinator Ministry in Economy.

“The issue of food security is crucial, the most complex, but also the strategic one. I should not mis-predict or miscalculate the data. Alhamdulillah we keep making coordination with others well both with coordinator ministry, Perum Bulong, and others. We have the same map in digital,” he said.

He also told that for all these years, his side regularly monitors the market progress and food availability, such as, rice, as the main need in Indonesia.

“Everything should be mapped well. There should be no different data with Perum Bulog or other ministries,” SYL said.

Director of Perum Bulog, Budi Waseso (Buwas) also said that Perum Bulog and Ministry of Agriculture Indonesian Republic cooperate well. He also told that Bulog keeps monitoring the production to get the same data before absorbing (buying) rice.

“Perum Bulog is oblidged to prepare food for every people in Indonesia. We should know the progress, namely the harvest time in Ministry of Agriculture. Alhamdulillah, we have enough food stocks plus in the programs in Ministry of Agriculture and make the production run well. It means, until now we do not import,” he said.

Meanwhile, Deputy of Food and Agriculture Coordination, Coordinator Ministry in Economy, Musdhalifah Machmud also confirmed that Indonesia could pass the food deficit in a whole. Indonesia even has enough food stocks though being hit by Covid-19 pandemic.

"Alhamdulillah, we could pass food deficit. The stocks are enough though Covid-19 pandemic still hits. In the future we would monitor the price in every single day to anticipate the lack of stock or the increasing price. If everything starts to be more expensive, we would tell Bulog to do operation. This is why Bulong should immediately buy,” she said.

Based on the prediction of rice, daily main and strategic needs nationally by the end of December 2020, they are in good condition. Rice, for instance, is surplus 6,5 million tons, corn is surplus 1,5 million tons, cow meat is surplus 131 thousand tons, and hen meat is surplus 275 thousand tons. (A2)