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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Economy & Trade

Indonesian Tobacco Farmers Warn Government Regulation Could Cripple Industry, Cost Millions of Jobs

From Republika · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • The Indonesian Tobacco Farmers Association (APTI) warns that Government Regulation (PP) 28/2024 threatens the livelihoods of millions of tobacco farmers and workers.
  • APTI fears the regulation's restrictions will reduce the absorption of local tobacco, potentially leading to increased imports and unsold harvests.
  • Farmers are urging the government to reconsider the regulation and engage in dialogue, citing the tobacco industry's vital role in the economy and the livelihoods of approximately six million people.

The Indonesian Tobacco Farmers Association (APTI) has issued a stark warning to the government, stating that the implementation of Government Regulation (PP) 28/2024 could devastate the tobacco industry and impact millions of workers. Yudha Sudarmaji, an APTI official, expressed deep concern that the regulation, which includes derivative rules from Law Number 17 of 2023 on Health, poses an existential threat to tobacco farmers.

What worries us most is the reduced absorption of farmers' tobacco. If the industry no longer needs tobacco with the characteristics produced by local farmers, then the harvest will not be bought.

— Yudha Sudarmaji, APTI officialSudarmaji explains the potential economic consequences for farmers if local tobacco is no longer in demand due to the new regulation.

APTI anticipates that the various restrictions imposed by the new regulation will lead to a significant decrease in the absorption of local tobacco by the domestic Industry of Tobacco Products (IHT). This, in turn, could result in local harvests being replaced by imported raw materials. "What worries us most is the reduced absorption of farmers' tobacco. If the industry no longer needs tobacco with the characteristics produced by local farmers, then the harvest will not be bought," Yudha stated in a press release on Wednesday (July 29, 2026).

The tobacco ecosystem in Indonesia involves approximately six million people, encompassing farmers, farm laborers, processing workers, and factory employees. Recognizing this vast impact, APTI is urgently calling on the government to re-evaluate the derivative rules of PP 28/2024 and to open a dialogue with stakeholders in the tobacco sector before the regulation takes effect. "We want the government to pay attention to the sustainability of tobacco farmers. For many regions, including Temanggung, tobacco is the main source of livelihood for the community," Yudha emphasized.

We want the government to pay attention to the sustainability of tobacco farmers. For many regions, including Temanggung, tobacco is the main source of livelihood for the community.

— Yudha Sudarmaji, APTI officialSudarmaji highlights the critical importance of the tobacco sector for regional economies and the well-being of farming communities.

This warning follows a protest by hundreds of tobacco farmers from various production centers across Indonesia. Demonstrators gathered in front of the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture in Jakarta on Tuesday (July 21, 2026), demanding the cancellation of the derivative regulations of PP Number 28 of 2024. The farmers are particularly opposed to the provisions limiting tar and nicotine content in tobacco products, arguing that these limits are incompatible with the natural genetic characteristics of local Indonesian tobacco, which inherently has higher tar and nicotine levels.

Our tobacco plants indeed naturally have high nicotine content, and that cannot be changed because it is a characteristic of the plant.

— Yamuhadi, protest coordinatorYamuhadi explains why the farmers reject the government's proposed limits on tar and nicotine content in tobacco products.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Republika in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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