Erfan Maruf

Jakarta. The Government is confident it can meet its target of absorbing 4 million tons of farmers’ unhusked rice at a fixed price of Rp 6,500 per kilogram this year, a move officials say would mark a historic milestone for Indonesia if realized.

“We are targeting the absorption of 4 million tons of unhusked rice in 2026. That is Bulog’s target. We are collaborating and working together, and God willing, we hope this can be achieved,” Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman said at the ministry’s office in Jakarta on Monday.

The optimism is underpinned by planting activity in the October–December 2025 period, which covered an estimated 400,000 to 500,000 hectares. Deputy Agriculture Minister Sudaryono said progress toward the 4 million-ton target remains on track.

He pointed to last year as a benchmark for stronger performance this year, expressing confidence that the 2026 target will face fewer obstacles.

“One of the achievements we announced yesterday was food self-sufficiency in 2025, and we will maintain that. The target is not only self-sufficiency, but also the ability to export,” Sudaryono said.

Meanwhile, Bulog President Director Ahmad Rizal Ramdhani said the state logistics agency has held a national working meeting to allocate tasks across the supply chain, from grain absorption to rice distribution.

“We will continue to pursue food self-sufficiency, in line with Bulog’s mandate to absorb, process, and distribute as optimally as possible, including the realization of exports and a single rice price across Indonesia,” Rizal said.

Amran confirmed that the government will maintain the purchase price for harvested dry unhusked rice (GKP) at Rp 6,500 per kg, unchanged from 2025. Rizal has also previously said Bulog plans to move toward digital or non-cash transactions for future grain purchases.

Amran welcomed the digitalization initiative but cautioned that cash payments should still be part of the system to anticipate challenges in the field.

“Digitalization should not be applied entirely. It has to be a combination to anticipate potential issues,” he said.

Published Date: January 12, 2026