Jakarta (ANTARA) – The National Food Agency (Bapanas) said the Indonesian government is strengthening national food reserves in anticipation of a potential extreme El Niño, sometimes referred to as a “Godzilla El Niño,” to maintain food supply and price stability.“We are closely monitoring the potential for a ‘Godzilla El Niño’ and ensuring that government food reserves continue to be strengthened,” Bapanas Deputy for Food Availability and Stabilization I Gusti Ketut Astawa said here on Wednesday.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 quickly and accurately during weather anomalies.According to Bapanas data as of March 25, stocks of key staple foods within government reserves, managed by state-owned enterprises including Perum Bulog and ID FOOD, remain sufficient, with rice accounting for the largest share.Reserves of other commodities are also being strengthened, 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 Niño depicts the potential for a very strong El Niño, 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.