Agricom.id, JAKARTA – Daily Chairman of Himpunan Kerukunan Tani Indonesia (HKTI), Entang Sastraatmaja urged PT. Badan Urusan Logistik (Bulog) to prepare the mechanism to absorb the rice massive harvest that would take place in the end of March to April 2020.

"PT. Bulog should prepare to absorb the high quality rice from the massive harvest so that the people would not be doubtful and find the rareness of rice. PT. Bulong only has 9 percent of the available rice,” he said, Tuesday, (24/3/2020), as in the official statement to Agricom.id.

He thought that the other preparation is about to check the stocks of rice which are mostly in the warehouses of the people. Bulog should check it to the lowest level.

“It is better if it is about to know the right data, the indicator should not be from the stocks in PT. Bulog but to know the stocks in the people. This is crucial because it would make the qualified and better data base,” he said.

For information, ministry of agriculture mentioned that the numbers of rice stocks reached 3 million tons and could be 11 million tons when the massive harvests take place in the end of March to April.

President Joko Widodo in the meeting some time ago ordered coordinator minister in economy to make sure the daily food availability and stability that the people need. The president also ordered the other ministry and institution to run the economic incentive policy, namely for the businessmen and the small business which are hit because of the spread of Covid-19.

“President clearly ordered that coordinator ministry should consolidate the data about the map of the businessmen and the small business so that the policy that would be published would not mis-target. What the people need is the certain action by early detection,” he told.

On the other hand, heading to the massive harvest, Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo initiated the making of Komando Strategi Penggilingan Padi (Kostraling Padi). He said that Kostraling Padi is the harvest device which supports the activity of the red plate company to absorb.

“I take every rice mill businessmen to cooperate with the groups, namely those who got the rice milling unit to help each other to maintain the product quality, including in the market,” he said.

“I do hope that every rice mill businessman could join the Kostraling, I give the chance to those who are ready and have integrity to help and could function as the end sector from the agricultural ecosystem,” he said. (A2)