Zulkifli Hasan, the Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs, has advocated for the enhancement of Subulussalam City's role as a pivotal link in the national food supply chain, pointing out its strategic location as a key logistics distribution hub connecting Aceh and North Sumatra.
During a visit for official business, he delivered this statement while being accompanied by Trade Minister Budi Santoso and Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono.
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The minister engaged in a discussion with the regional leadership coordination forum, religious figures, and community leaders regarding initiatives to enhance regional food security by enhancing logistics infrastructure and disaster risk management.
“Subulussalam’s position is strategic in supporting the smooth interregional distribution of food. Therefore, the strengthening of its infrastructure and economic institutions needs to be accelerated,” Hasan says.
He emphasized the necessity of building a canal for the Lae Soraya River to mitigate flooding, which has thus far impeded agricultural operations and the distribution of food within the community. He mentioned that the federal government will implement measures to enhance the transportation infrastructure in Subulussalam and Aceh Singkil, thereby easing the movement of goods and enhancing distribution efficiency.
Hasan highlighted the importance of enhancing red-and-white village cooperatives (KDMP) to streamline the food distribution process and bolster the local economy, in addition to investing in physical infrastructure. Currently, there are 83,130 red-and-white village cooperatives that have been officially established and granted legal recognition. These cooperatives are being primed to contribute to the distribution and consumption of food.
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“These cooperatives will also become part of the supply chain for the free nutritious meals (MBG) program, which targets 82.9 million beneficiaries starting in March 2026,” he says.
Zulkifli Hasan, the Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs, ensured that Indonesia's rice supply is still stable, as the government increases its efforts to protect national food reserves due to increased consumption during the Christmas and New Year holidays.
He emphasized Indonesia's successful rice production this year during a visit to Jagasatru Central Market in Cirebon, West Java to inspect staple commodity prices and stocks. The minister reported that Cirebon has stable prices and secure stocks of essential goods after conducting a market inspection.
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Additionally, Iing Daiman, the Head of Cirebon's Cooperative, Small and Medium Enterprises, Trade, and Industry Office, mentioned that the minister personally visited the central market to observe consumer pricing patterns. He verified that the costs of many items that had increased before are now starting to go down, such as different kinds of peppers. He stated that this change is due to wise consumer spending and the continuing harvest of a variety of horticultural crops.