Agricom.id, JAKARTA – The corona virus (Covid-19) limits not only the people to do activity but also influences the economy and in the end, it minimizes the people’s access and capability to get enough food. The government does its best so that the people could get the food stocks.

Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo in many chances emphasized that there should be no one of 267 million citizens of Indonesia starving. There have been policy interventions to keep the food security stable.

By many things to do, the people are supported to be able independently to fulfill the food needs. One thing to do is by encouraging them to strengthen the food stocks through lumbung pangan masyarakat (LPM).

Head of Badan Ketahanan Pangan, Agung Hendriadi said that LPM as the food stocks for the people is really crucial to the continuity and access of food for the people, namely the farmers, who are also as the producers and consumers.

“In the pandemic of Covid-19, the food stocks are crucial. LPM would ease the people, namely those who live in the village to fulfill their needs,” he said, as in the official statement to Agricom.id, Tuesday (21/4/2020) d.

“LPM is made so that the food access closer to the groups and develop the awareness of the people that it is important to have the food stocks namely in the pandemic,” he said.

Based on the Food Law No. 18 / 2012, the people should play their roles to develop the food stocks. That is why the government exists by providing the facilities to develop the food stocks, such as, the government help, development, and accompaniment.

In 2020, 300 LPM groups in 120 districts in 28 provinces have got the help to fulfill the food stocks in their barns. The helps have been used by the LPM groups to buy rice/grain in many regions in Indonesia. This is the same with the harvest potential like now so it could stabilize the price in the farmers’ level.

Just like the LPM of “Ngudi Subur” has done in Village of Bangun Harjo, Sub district of Bataguh, District of Kapuas, Central Kalimantan Province by keeping the stocks, such as, the grain and the rice.

“The grain and harvest are kept in LPM warehouse because they are priceless. In nowadays situation, we have to stay at home. Insya Allah we unite and are ready to fight for the corona virus,” Chairman of LPM Ngudi Subur, Rejo Mulyo said.

The same thing was told by LPM “Sinar Tani Raya” in Village of Laok Jang Jang, Sub district of Arjasa, District of Sumenep, East Java Province. The group has traded and loaned the grain to make the economy productive. From the grain/rice selling, the group could get profit margin and increase their capital.

The fund from the government help has been developed. “Alhamdulillah, by the productive economic business, we could double the fund help from the government as the modal to manage the food stocks,” the chairman of the group, Edi Susanto said.

443 LPM do the same which got the helps in 2019. The food stocks that they managed run still and help them to fulfill the food access in the pandemic of Covid – 19.

Back to Agung, he mentioned that in a whole in the pandemic of Covid-19 and heading to fasting days, the food stocks are in control. “Our rice is enough, about 3,4 million tons,” he said.

In detail, he continued, the rice stocks are in Perum Bulog (1,42 million tons), in the millings (1,2 million tons), in the sellers (728 thousand tons), in Pasar Induk Besar Cibinong (26 thousand tons), and in the LPM which is developed by Badan Ketahanan Pangan, Ministry of agriculture (2.939 tons). (A2)