Govt partners with food, ride-hailing companies to ensure food supplies during outbreak

The Agriculture Ministry is partnering with food producer PT Indoguna Utama and ride-hailing company Grab Indonesia, among other businesses, to secure supplies and offer them a web grocery platform.

The partnership is a component of the government’s anticipatory efforts to satisfy surging demand, especially for beef and chicken meat during Ramadan and on Idul Fitri. Both events will likely be celebrated at the height of the COVID-19 outbreak, consistent with Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo.

“Protein helps our [body repair tissue], improves our system and helps us grow,” Syahrul said at the signing of the partnership agreement on Tuesday. “How can we overcome this outbreak if our source of animal protein is insufficient or inaccessible to the people.”

Indoguna Utama, which has sold food products to hotels and retailers worldwide since 1982, is predicted to supply enough beef, chicken meat, fish, milk and other processed products.

Grab Indonesia, which offers food delivery services through the GrabFood feature, will provide a web platform to sell the products and deliver them.

Concerns are raised about the likelihood of food shortages, brought on by disruptions to the country’s distribution chains as a results of government measures to fight COVID-19.

The Agriculture Ministry has estimated the demand for chicken meat to succeed in 881,204 tons and beef 201,730 tons between March and should.

With the speed of COVID-19 transmissions showing no signs of slowing down, the govt began improving regional requests for large-scale social restrictions (PSBB), which temporarily suspend school and offices, also as religious and public activities.

As of Tuesday, Indonesia has recorded 4,839 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 459 deaths and 426 recoveries.

Because half the cases are in Greater Jakarta, the capital imposed heightened PSBB measures on Friday and its satellite cities will soon imitate .

“Under these conditions, two things must not cease: health care and agriculture,” said Syahrul. “Therefore, by complying with health protocols, medical workers and farmers will keep working.”

To serve stay-at-home consumers under social restrictions, the ministry is partnering with online grocery shopping platforms Sayur Box, Tanihub and Etanee, also as food companies PT Charoen Pokphand Indonesia, PT Triputra Panganindo, PT Japfa Comfeed Indonesia and PT Cimory.

Last week, the ministry established an identical partnership with ride-hailing company Gojek and therefore the Toko Tani Indonesia Center, a grocery in South Jakarta that sells affordable food and groceries.

Gojek, which employs over 1,000,000 drivers across the country, is offering free delivery services for minimum purchases of Rp 40,000 (US$2.50) at Toko Tani and within a 25-kilometer distance from the shop .

“The activities of Jakartans may hamper with the introduction of large-scale social restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19,” Gojek chief military officer Kevin Aluwi said during a statement released on Friday. “But we've prepared several measures to stay operating as best as we will while complying with health and safety procedures.”