inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. The government has decided to raise rice aid by 10 kilograms (kg) for 33.244 million recipients for three months to maintain people's purchasing power amidst the dry season and fluctuating global food prices.

Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan stated that the decision to distribute rice aid follows President Prabowo Subianto's directive to ensure that staple food prices do not burden the public.

"Therefore, we are adding the rice aid, or food aid, for three months," said Zulikfli Hasan, or famously called Zulhas, on Tuesday (6/9/2026).

He stated that the 10 kg of rice aid will be distributed directly monthly to 33.244 million recipients throughout Indonesia. 

He stated that rice aid distribution will be prioritized starting in July 2026, while the following two months will be adjusted based on coordination between the Ministry of Agriculture and Bulog.

The government estimates that the rice requirement for this additional food aid program will reach around 1 million tons. He stated that the government's current rice stock of around 5.2 million tons is sufficient to support the distribution of this food aid.

This additional food aid is deemed necessary to protect vulnerable communities from the impact of the weakening rupiah against the US dollar and other economic pressures.

He explained that data on food aid recipients will be prepared in conjunction with the Ministry of Social Affairs, while the program's implementation will be handled by the ministry. 

"The data will be shared with the Minister of Social Affairs, the budget will be shared with the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), and the Minister of Social Affairs will be the implementer," said Zulhas.

The government ensures that the national food supply is currently secure, based on reports from relevant ministries and institutions, as well as the results of field inspections. This additional food aid is expected to provide a social cushion to protect vulnerable groups from the impact of food price fluctuations.

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