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March 12, 2025 | 02:38 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman has responded to findings by the House of Representatives’ Commission IV regarding unfit-for-consumption, weevil-infested imported rice stockpiled in Perum Bulog's warehouse in Yogyakarta. He assured that the rice would not be distributed to the public.
"We will discuss this further. Typically, we release stock, but we have agreed that this batch cannot be distributed—neither for price stabilization (SPHP) nor food aid programs," Amran stated during a meeting with Commission IV at the parliamentary complex in Jakarta on March 11.
He explained that unfit rice would be assessed before disposal, as not all deteriorated stock is immediately discarded. Designated officers sort the rice, allowing some to decompose naturally while others are processed according to regulations.
Removing unfit rice from warehouses, Amran noted, requires a series of procedures, including official documentation acknowledged by the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) and the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP).
Addressing lawmakers in Senayan, he pledged to contact Bulog President Director Novi Helmy Prasetya for immediate follow-up on the weevil-infested rice, particularly in Yogyakarta. However, he reaffirmed that, as per a recent cabinet meeting decision, the rice would not be distributed to the public.
Amran revealed that the issue extends beyond Yogyakarta. Reports from Bulog indicate that out of the 1.9 million tons of imported rice stock nationwide, between 100,000 and 300,000 tons are deemed unfit for consumption. In Yogyakarta alone, he noted, around 10 tons have been identified as unfit.
"This issue is already on the list, including Yogyakarta, but we are prioritizing its resolution there. My apologies," Amran said.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, he clarified that the 100,000 to 300,000 tons figure remains preliminary and unverified. However, he confirmed the 10-ton figure for Yogyakarta.
The findings were initially disclosed by Commission IV Chairperson Siti Hediati Hariyadi, better known as Titiek Soeharto, during the same hearing with the Agriculture Ministry on March 11.
"During my recent recess and working visit, I led a team to inspect Bulog's warehouse in Yogyakarta. We found that a significant amount of imported rice from last year remains in storage, heavily infested with weevils," said the daughter of Indonesia’s second president, Suharto.
Titiek urged Amran’s ministry to take swift action, warning that the rice was already unfit for sale. She emphasized that the government must not delay addressing the issue, as the rice’s condition would only deteriorate further.
"Something must be done about this rice immediately. It’s no longer fit for human consumption, so let’s find a way to utilize it," said Titiek, the former wife of President Prabowo Subianto.
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