Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Food, Zulkifli Hasan, conveyed the government's determination in his year-end presentation in Jakarta last week. The four commodities have strategic value nationally and are often unable to be fulfilled through domestic production so far. For example, rice and corn as agricultural products that play an important role in the fulfilment of human and livestock food. Indonesians use rice as staple food while livestock depend on corn for their feed. In 2024, Indonesia's rice imports reached 3.6 million tonnes per year. This figure increased from the initial plan of only 2 million tonnes. Most of the imports come from Vietnam, Myanmar and Thailand.
Meanwhile, corn imports in 2024 will reach more than 3.5 trillion rupiah (equivalent to US$215 million). According to Acting Head of the Central Bureau of Statistics, Analia Adininggar, the majority of corn imports come from Argentina, Brazil, the United States and Pakistan.
Minister Zulkifli Hasan revealed that the determination to make Indonesia self-sufficient in food has been carefully considered, including looking at the trend of national rice production which continues to increase.
In addition, the government has also provided a number of stimuli, such as the setting of the basic price of grain to six thousand five hundred per kg and the basic price of corn to five thousand five hundred per kilogram.
The Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto believes that Indonesia is capable of realising food sovereignty. If the Indonesian government is able to achieve food self-sufficiency, then this will be evidence and an important historical record that Indonesia is able to achieve food sovereignty, which is one of the president's Asta Cita (eight programs).
