Indonesia rolls out 30-kilogram rice aid for 33.2 million recipients

Eligibility and funding

President Prabowo Subianto approved the assistance to support low-income households' food needs, Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan said during a distribution event in East Java on October 25. The third phase of aid is intended to keep households supplied with rice through year-end and is expected to reduce their financial burden as food prices fluctuate.

The government has budgeted Rp17.5 trillion (more than US$970 million) for 33,244,408 beneficiary families under its fourth-quarter 2026 economic stimulus package, according to ANTARA News.

Eligibility is determined through the National Socio-Economic Single Data (DTSEN). The program covers deciles 1 through 4, representing the 40 percent of families with the lowest relative welfare, Stateline MEDIA reported. Each recipient's allocation consists of 10 kilograms for each of the three months, delivered together rather than in monthly installments.

Distribution sites and local deliveries

Bulog and Commission IV of Indonesia's House of Representatives (DPR) formally opened the third phase on October 20 in Potorono Village, Banguntapan, Bantul Regency, Yogyakarta. Tirto.id reported that the Yogyakarta Special Region was allocated 15,688,680 kilograms for 522,956 beneficiaries.

Five days later, Hasan attended the distribution of 16,260 kilograms to 542 recipients in Kwagean Village, Nganjuk District, East Java. "There are 33.2 million recipients, with a total allocation of one million tons of rice," he said at the event.

Hasan also made a symbolic handover of assistance to orphans and online motorcycle taxi drivers. Residents welcomed the rice aid, saying it helped them meet their food needs while rice prices remained relatively high.

For the October-December round, Red and White Village/Subdistrict Cooperatives (KDKMP) are serving as new pickup points in place of subdistrict offices or village halls, according to Stateline MEDIA. The previous arrangements remain in use where few cooperatives are ready, including parts of Sulawesi, Kalimantan and Papua.

East Java Bulog Regional Head Langgeng Wisnu Adinugroho said his office was working to secure adequate stocks and improve delivery channels throughout the province. "We are committed to ensuring that the entire food aid distribution process runs smoothly, from rice stocks in warehouses to delivery to eligible residents," he said.

Rice reserves and earlier aid rounds

Bulog President Director Ahmad Rizaldi said the agency had 4.5 million tons of rice in stock. He estimated that serving the 33.2 million targeted beneficiaries during the final three months of 2026 would require less than one million tons, leaving more than three million tons after deliveries were complete.

Earlier allocations were documented in a July 23, 2026, report by the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. It recorded 662,860 metric tons distributed for February-March and said Bulog received renewed authorization in early July to distribute another 997,300 metric tons for July-September. At the time, the report projected that those allocations would bring food-aid rice to 1.7 million metric tons by the end of 2026. It also recorded distribution of 2 million metric tons under the rice aid program in 2024/25.

Separately from the free assistance, the government continues to sell rice through its Food Supply and Price Stabilization (SPHP) program at Rp12,500 (about US$0.70) per kilogram. An additional one million tons has been allocated to that program through March 2027.