Karawang, W Java (ANTARA) – Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman announced that the Indonesian government rice reserves hit an unprecedented 5,000,198 tons as of April 23, 2026, a historic high for the country.

“This is the first; it has never happened in our history. This is truly a historic milestone,” he said while inspecting rice stocks at a Bulog warehouse in Karawang, West Java, on Thursday.

He attributed the achievement to the collective efforts of various parties, including the Ministry of Agriculture and state-run logistics firm Bulog, as well as support from the public, observers, and the press.

Sulaiman affirmed that the government continues to increase rice storage capacity by renting warehouses.

In Karawang, for instance, the government has leased a warehouse with a capacity of 102,000 tons, of which approximately 80,000 tons are already filled and expected to reach full capacity within the next two weeks.

Nationally, Bulog’s total warehouse capacity reaches about 3 million tons, supported by an additional 2 million tons in rented warehouses to accommodate national rice reserves.

The minister noted that these rented facilities are currently nearing their full capacity, prompting the government to lease another 1 million tons of warehouse space to anticipate future stock increases.

According to him, the rice reserve achievement not only strengthens national food security but also underscores Indonesia’s contribution to global food stability, which is highly dependent on rice.

He pointed out that while Indonesia imported approximately 7 million tons of rice between 2023 and 2024, the government successfully halted all imports in 2025.

The government is also optimistic that it will not need to import rice in 2026 as efforts to increase domestic rice production and reserves continue.

“We are opening access for the public to directly inspect Bulog warehouses to ensure the transparency of the rice stock data reported by the government,” Sulaiman said.

Translator: Muhammad Harianto, Raka Adji
Editor: M Razi Rahman
Copyright © ANTARA 2026

Published Date: April 23, 2026