TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman said the country’s government rice reserves have reached 4.6 million tons, a level he described as sufficient to withstand global geopolitical pressures and the threat of drought linked to El Niño.
Speaking at a hearing with House of Representatives Commission IV in Jakarta on Tuesday, April 7, Amran said the reserve stock had increased from 4.5 million tons previously to 4.6 million tons as of Tuesday morning.
“This morning, as of April 7, 2026, our rice reserves reached 4.6 million tons. Yesterday it was 4.5 million, now it is 4.6 million tons. This is the highest in history,” said Amran, who also serves as head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas).
With that figure, the government believes Indonesia’s rice reserves are in a strong position to maintain supply and price stability amid rising global uncertainty.
Amran said the current stock is enough to meet domestic demand for the next 10 to 11 months.
He also stressed that the anticipated El Niño, which is expected to last for the next six months, can still be managed through existing stockpiles and broader mitigation measures prepared by the government to protect domestic agricultural productivity.
“Indonesia’s national rice stock is secure for the next 10 to 11 months. On the other hand, El Niño is expected to last six months, so, God willing, our food supply will remain safe,” Amran said.
According to Amran, food is not merely a basic necessity but a strategic issue that can determine a nation’s survival, and must therefore be safeguarded seriously and sustainably by the state.
For that reason, he said, the government has placed the food sector as a top priority in maintaining national sovereignty and ensuring the country’s future amid increasingly uncertain global dynamics.
Amran added that the global food crisis is becoming more severe, citing a Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report that estimated around 724 million people worldwide are experiencing hunger due to factors including conflict and extreme climate change.
He said the situation has been worsened by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, which could trigger a broader humanitarian crisis and place around 40 million people at risk of severe hunger.
“Food is increasingly being viewed as a strategic asset that plays an important role in global economic and geopolitical stability,” Amran said.
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