Indonesia budgets over $500m for additional rice for the poor

JAKARTA, July 24 (Reuters): Indonesia has increased its social welfare budget by 8 trillion rupiah to distribute more rice to lower-income households and help control food prices, the finance minister said on Monday.
The decision came after the country's weather agency warned that the El Niño weather pattern is set to bring drought to parts of the archipelago, which could hurt its rice output at a time when international prices are rising after India halted exports last week.
The government will distribute an additional 10 kilogram (22 pounds) of rice to 21.35 million vulnerable families per month from October to December, on top of the existing rice assistance programme, Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said in a press conference.
"This is additional social assistance we feel we need to strengthen when we still see shocks and pressures," Sri Mulyani said.