To secure rice stocks in villages, the Food Security Agency (BKP) aims to develop 5,000 food barns in the remainder of the year, said Agung Hendriadi, the head of the agency. The government has developed around 5,000 food barns so far.

“We hope that during harvest season, farmers and farmer groups will be able to store their crops and take them beyond the harvest season,” Agung said in a virtual discussion on Friday.

“This is especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic when there are difficulties with importing, so we need to have our own stocks this way.”

The plan comes at a time when the government is trying to secure food stocks amid the coronavirus outbreak, which has disrupted logistics and led to price increases earlier this year.

Read also: In Indonesia, rural helps urban to ensure food supply during pandemic

The Agriculture Ministry is expecting to see a surplus of 7.6 million tons of rice stock in December as production and stocks are expected to reach 17.6 million tons in total while consumption will stand at almost 10 million tons.

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