Indonesia Eyes Stronger Food Reserves as 'Godzilla' El Nino Looms

March 26, 2026 | 04:36 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia is strengthening national food reserves ahead of extreme El Nino potential, also known as "Godzilla El Nino" to maintain food supply and price stability, according to the National Food Agency (Bapanas).

“We are closely monitoring the potential for a ‘Godzilla El Nino’ and ensuring that government food reserves continue to be strengthened,” Bapanas Deputy for Food Availability and Stabilization I Gusti Ketut Astawa said on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, as quoted from Antara.

The phenomenon, which may be intensified by a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), is expected to bring a longer and drier dry season across parts of Indonesia.

The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) said both phenomena could occur simultaneously starting in April.

Astawa said maintaining robust food reserves, with priority given to absorbing domestic production, would enable the government to roll out food intervention programs swiftly and accurately during weather anomalies.

According to Bapanas data as of March 25, key staple foods within government reserves, managed by state-owned enterprises including Perum Bulog and ID FOOD, remain sufficient. "Rice accounts for the largest share," he said. 

The Indonesian government is also bolstering reserves of other commodities, including corn, cooking oil, consumer sugar, beef and buffalo meat, as well as chicken and eggs.

Government rice reserves managed by state-owned logistics firm Bulog currently stand at about 4.08 million tons, up 77.8 percent from 2.29 million tons in March 2025.

Government corn reserves total about 144,000 tons, most of which is sourced domestically. Domestic corn procurement has reached 101,960 tons so far this year.

“It is important to note that Indonesia has not imported feed corn since 2025,” Astawa said.

Meanwhile, other government food reserves include 95,000 kiloliters of cooking oil, 50,000 tons of consumer sugar, 11,000 tons of beef and buffalo meat, 39 tons of chicken meat, and 62 tons of eggs.

BRIN has explained that Godzilla El Nino depicts the potential for a very strong El Nino, leading to predictions of a significantly longer and drier dry season.

Indonesia could face prolonged periods of cloudless skies and minimal rainfall. However, these impacts may not be uniform across the country.

In this regard, BRIN is calling on relevant ministries and agencies to begin mitigation efforts, specifically accounting for drought risks in southern Indonesia and the potential for flooding in the northeast, such as Sulawesi, Halmahera, and Maluku.

Read: BMKG Forecast: La Nina Continues, El Nino Not Expected Yet

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