Zulhas claims rice stocks top 5 million tons as dry season nears
The government also aims to lift fishermen's exchange rate from 103 to 120 next year through thematic fish villages.
Food Coordinating Minister Zulkifli Hasan said the national food supply is safe heading into the dry season, with rice reserves of more than 5 million tons and adequate supplies of chicken and eggs. In Bandung on Friday, he said the government has prepared steps to maintain the availability of rice and other strategic commodities. A day later at the VIII Indonesian Islamic Congress in Jakarta, Zulhas also said the national food stock is surplus amid rising global protectionism and argued Indonesia cannot rely on free markets when other countries are restricting exports. He added that the government aims to raise fishermen's exchange rate from around 103 to 120 by 2027 through strengthening the fisheries sector and building thematic fish villages with a budget of Rp1.2 billion per village.