Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — Indonesia’s Agriculture Minister, Amran Sulaiman, has alleged that certain actors are deliberately carried out data manipulation on national rice supply data to create public confusion and undermine the country’s food security efforts.
Citing internal findings, Amran claimed that individuals linked to food cartels have been distorting data to make it appear as though Indonesia is facing a rice shortage, despite what he says is a healthy and abundant supply.
“Our rice stocks are actually plentiful, but some people are playing with the data to make it seem like there’s a shortage,” he said during an Idul Adha animal sacrifice event in Makassar, South Sulawesi, on Friday (June 6) as reported by Antara.
Amran warned that such disinformation could harm farmers and disrupt President Prabowo Subianto’s national programs aimed at achieving food sovereignty and self-sufficiency.
“If we’re falsely led to believe that our stock is low, the answer would be imports. But if we import unnecessarily, it’s the farmers who suffer. They stop producing. This weakens our farming sector,” he said.
The minister stated that a food task force is currently investigating the case, and legal action is underway. “The food task force is handling it. We urge everyone, do not gamble with the livelihoods of our farmers and consumers,” he added. However minister Amran didn’t to name specific individuals involved.
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Earlier, Amran raised concerns over possible manipulation of rice stock data at Cipinang Rice Central Market in East Jakarta. According to his finding, 11,000 tons of rice were recorded leaving the Cipinang warehouse in a single day.
The figure was well above the usual daily range of 1,000 to 3,500 tons, fueling suspicions of rice stock reporting irregularities and supply data manipulation.
Amran reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening the agricultural sector and emphasized the critical role it plays in ensuring national food security. He reiterated that protecting farmers and ensuring accurate food data is essential not only for national food security but also for maintaining public trust in government policies.
(Raidi/Agung)
