Makassar, S Sulawesi, April 5 -- Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman stated that the government rice reserves managed by state-owned logistics firm Bulog remain stable at 4.5 million tons amid tensions in the Middle East.

"Now, it stands at around 4.5 million tons. This is the highest in the history of this republic," he said on the sidelines of a visit to a Bulog warehouse in Makassar, South Sulawesi, on Sunday.

According to him, the reserves have been made secure thanks to the government's policies to increase production in a short period, thereby helping the country achieve self-sufficiency in the commodity.

Some of the policies include raising the government purchase price for unhusked rice to Rp6,500 per kilogram, a 20 percen...