Bulog unloads 150 tonnes of MoveNas rice at Labuan Bajo Port

Labuan Bajo — State logistics company Perum Bulog has unloaded around 150 tonnes of nationally mobilised rice at Labuan Bajo Port in West Manggarai, part of efforts to strengthen food supplies in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) and support government assistance programmes following the Flores earthquake.

Bulog’s national mobilisation, known as mobilisasi nasional or MoveNas, is designed to reinforce local stocks in NTT using supplies drawn from other provinces, while maintaining capacity for disaster response and routine food assistance, according to statements reported by InfoEkonomi and financial news service IQPlus.

Monitoring at Labuan Bajo Port

InfoEkonomi reported that Bulog Operations Director Andi Afdal and Marketing Director Rahmanto Amin Jatmiko directly monitored the unloading of MoveNas rice at Labuan Bajo Port on Friday, 21 August. IQPlus similarly noted Bulog’s “direct monitoring” of the unloading process there.

According to those reports, about 150 tonnes of MoveNas rice had been unloaded at Labuan Bajo by the time of the inspection. The monitoring visit focused on overseeing cargo handling and maintaining rice quality before further distribution through Bulog’s warehousing and delivery network.

Labuan Bajo is being used as an arrival point for nationally mobilised rice destined for NTT. Subsequent allocation to districts is to be determined based on supply needs and government programmes, but the reports do not specify which regencies will receive the 150 tonnes or the timing of onward shipments.

Role in NTT rice supply

Bulog and national food officials have stressed that NTT’s rice supply remains sufficient despite increased demand after the earthquake.

In a visit to Reok, Manggarai, Agriculture Minister and National Food Agency (Bapanas) head Andi Amran Sulaiman said the government had prepared around 6,000 tonnes of rice for earthquake-affected areas, and that rice stocks in NTT stood at about 39,000 tonnes. He said Bulog was instructed to send rice immediately to areas in need, with administrative procedures to follow.

Separately, IDN Times reported that Bulog ensured rice stocks in NTT of roughly 35,000 tonnes, with an additional 40,000 tonnes to be mobilised gradually from West Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi and East Java. Other coverage of Bulog’s national supply plan indicates a larger aggregate mobilisation for NTT, combining existing warehouse stocks and MoveNas shipments from several regions.

Earthquake response and food assistance

The Labuan Bajo unloading forms part of broader food assistance operations responding to the Flores earthquake.

CNN Indonesia reported that by 19 August 2026 Bulog had distributed 207 tonnes of government rice reserves and 6,000 litres of cooking oil for disaster response in Flores, covering Manggarai, Manggarai Timur, Ngada, Nagekeo, Sikka, Ende and Manggarai Barat. Bapanas records and other national media also describe a rapid mobilisation of rice and cooking oil to evacuation sites and affected communities.

Bulog’s NTT office later detailed that, as of 31 August, it had delivered 862 tonnes of rice and 7,000 litres of cooking oil to seven earthquake-affected regencies across Flores, including Manggarai Barat. By early September, Perum Bulog nationally reported total earthquake-related distributions in NTT of more than 1,300 tonnes of rice and 7,000 litres of cooking oil.

The available reports do not state that the 150 tonnes unloaded at Labuan Bajo were reserved exclusively for earthquake survivors. Instead, officials describe MoveNas rice in NTT as supporting a combination of disaster relief, routine food assistance and the Food Supply and Price Stabilisation programme (SPHP), with allocations coordinated between Bulog, local governments, the National Disaster Management Agency and other institutions.

Storage and logistics around Labuan Bajo

Bulog has highlighted its warehouse capacity in Flores as part of the earthquake response.

National media citing Bulog President Director Ahmad Rizal Ramdhani reported that Bulog operates 46 warehouses for emergency food support in NTT, including three units in Labuan Bajo with a combined capacity of about 4,650 tonnes, seven units in Ruteng with capacity of roughly 7,400 tonnes, and three in Ende totalling around 3,000 tonnes. These facilities are used to hold both existing stock and MoveNas rice for later distribution.

Neither InfoEkonomi nor other reports specify how long the 150 tonnes of MoveNas rice remained at Labuan Bajo Port, which warehouses received this particular shipment, or how much of it was subsequently allocated to West Manggarai versus other parts of NTT. Coverage focuses instead on the monitoring visit, total volumes mobilised and the assurance that NTT’s rice supply and disaster-response capacity remain adequate.

Sources

• InfoEkonomi
• IQPlus via BCA Sekuritas
• IDN Times
• Inilah Data
• RRI Ende
• Badan Pangan Nasional Digital Library
• CNN Indonesia
• Kilas Jateng
• Koran Jakarta