Antara News·Indonesia·Friday, September 11, 2026 at 08:03 AM

Govt prepares food aid, rice subsidies to cope with dry season

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Riadi Gunawan, Resinta Sulistiyandari

South Lampung (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government is preparing a series of policies to protect public purchasing power and maintain food price stability amid a dry season that could increase prices of basic necessities.

Such anticipatory measures were taken since the dry season has begun to impact the price trends of several staple goods, Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan said.

"Prices have started to creep up. Therefore, the government is taking steps to address this situation," he noted during his visit to Village Cooperative in Pisang Village, South Lampung District on Friday.

He noted that one measure is to complete the distribution of rice aid to beneficiaries for the July-September period.

The aid consists of 10 kilograms of rice per month, where beneficiaries will receive a total of 30 kilograms over the three-month period.

According to him, the food aid targets approximately 33.2 million beneficiaries classified within deciles 1 through 4, based on government aid recipient data.

The government will also distribute rice food aid for the October, November, and December period, to the same beneficiaries, the minister added.

In addition to food aid for low-income households, Hasan said the government is also preparing approximately one million tons of subsidized rice to be distributed through traditional markets from October to December.

The government plans to set the price of this subsidized rice between Rp12,000 (US$0.67) and Rp12,500 (US$0.69) per kilogram.

He noted that the policies are expected to boost rice supplies and keep prices affordable throughout the dry season.

In addition, the government is also preparing flour subsidies for food businesses, including bakeries and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

"We are lowering the price. A total of 380,000 tons is being prepared for cake production and various community-based businesses," the minister explained.

Approximately 380,000 tons of flour will be available at a subsidized price of around Rp11,000 (US$0.61) per kilogram.

The government is also preparing subsidized corn for small-scale livestock farmers to ensure affordable food supplies and support local businesses during the dry season.

Through these measures, the government aims to maintain food supplies, keep prices of basic necessities under control, and protect public purchasing power throughout the dry season, Hasan remarked.

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