By: Andika Pratama
The government continues to demonstrate a strong commitment to ensuring the stability of food stocks and prices during the 2024 Christmas and 2025 New Year (Nataru) celebrations. In this effort, various strategic steps have been taken to ensure the availability of strategic staple foods and to keep prices under control. A holistic approach, involving coordination between ministries, institutions, and various related parties, is the main pillar in realizing this goal.
Minister of Agriculture, Andi Amran Sulaiman, expressed optimism about the government’s readiness to face the potential spike in food demand during the Christmas and New Year holidays. With rice reserves of 2 million tons in Bulog’s warehouses, the government ensures that the public will not experience shortages. This stock is even said to be the largest in the last five years, demonstrating the government’s success in national food management. In addition, Coordinating Minister for Food, Zulkifli Hasan, revealed that nationally, rice stocks have reached 8 million tons, reflecting a very safe condition despite facing extreme weather challenges.
Availability is not only limited to rice, but also includes other commodities such as sugar, salt, meat, eggs, and fishery products. The government emphasizes that all of these needs are available in sufficient quantities, even to the retail trader level. The National Food Agency, through various initiatives, has also ensured price stability so that people can buy food at reasonable prices without sacrificing the welfare of farmers.
However, behind this optimism, the government is also aware of the challenges in the form of food price fluctuations in several regions. Data shows an increase in the price of several commodities such as curly red chilies, garlic, and cooking oil. Although the increase is relatively small, stabilization efforts remain a top priority. The Head of the National Food Agency, Arief Prasetyo Adi, emphasized the importance of maintaining price balance, both for producers and consumers. This is in line with the vision of food self-sufficiency promoted by President Prabowo Subianto, where the balance between prices at the farmer level and prices in the market is the main focus.
This vision is realized through various programs, such as the distribution of rice for food aid that continues to be carried out to reach people in need. Deputy for Food Availability and Stabilization of the NFA, I Gusti Ketut Astawa, added that carry over stocks for various commodities such as corn, soybeans, and chilies are in very good condition. The 2024 national food balance projection shows that all basic needs are guaranteed to be sufficient until early 2025, with no indication of a deficit.
This approach also involves close collaboration with the agriculture, livestock, and fisheries sectors. Local salt production, for example, has reached 2.2 million tons, far exceeding household needs of only 400 thousand tons. For sugar, the government is targeting a stock of 25 thousand tons by the end of 2024. Other commodities such as chicken meat and eggs are also projected to be in surplus, ensuring that people’s needs are met without having to rely on imports.
This success is inseparable from the government’s role in managing strategic reserves and ensuring smooth distribution. Coordination between the Ministry of Agriculture, the National Food Agency, and Perum Bulog is the main key in maintaining this stability. In addition, real-time price monitoring through the National Food Agency Price Panel allows the government to respond quickly to market changes.
Amidst these achievements, the government also emphasized the importance of increasing the efficiency of food distribution. This step was taken to reduce logistics costs which are often the main cause of price increases in the market. With better infrastructure, including the construction of roads and storage facilities, food distribution to all regions, including remote areas, can be done more quickly and efficiently.
In addition, the government also involves the role of the community in maintaining food stability. Educating consumers about the importance of not panic buying during long holidays is part of an effort to maintain price stability. This collective awareness is believed to be able to encourage the creation of a healthier and more sustainable food ecosystem.
Overall, the steps taken by the government to maintain the stability of food stocks and prices during Christmas and New Year reflect a commitment to public welfare. By ensuring the availability of food in sufficient quantities and stable prices, the government is not only responding to short-term needs, but also building a strong foundation for food security in the future. Challenges such as extreme weather and market price fluctuations are responded to with measured strategies, so that people can celebrate Christmas and New Year calmly.
A balanced approach between protecting consumers and maintaining the welfare of producers is at the heart of government policy. With adequate food stocks, efficient distribution, and wise pricing policies, food stability during Christmas and New Year is not only the government’s responsibility, but also a symbol of collective success in realizing national food security.
*The author is a contributor to Jabartrigger.com
