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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Economy & Trade

Seriousness in Closing the Rice Import Tap

From Republika · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Indonesia has successfully halted rice imports, focusing on boosting local production and strengthening farmer support.
  • The government aims for national food self-sufficiency, with significant government rice reserves and projected high national stock levels.
  • This policy shift, starting in 2025 under President Prabowo Subianto, is seen as a move towards national pride and avoiding reliance on imports.

Indonesia is making a determined push to cease rice imports, a move lauded as a significant step towards national food self-sufficiency. This policy, set to take full effect from 2025, is underpinned by a multi-pronged strategy focusing on enhancing domestic production and bolstering farmer welfare.

The cessation of rice imports starting in 2025 should be applauded by all citizens. For an agrarian country that has achieved the status of a rice-sufficient nation several times, rice imports can be considered a disgrace that must be avoided.

— Entang SastratmadjaA member of the Expert Council of DPN HKTI commented on the significance of ending rice imports.

Key factors contributing to this shift include a strong government focus on increasing local paddy production and strengthening the absorption of harvests by Bulog, the state logistics agency. Simultaneously, efforts are underway to protect agricultural land from conversion. Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs, Zulkifli Hasan, has emphasized the crucial role of regional governments in supporting food self-sufficiency and preserving farmland. The government also points to controlled inflation, with a rate of 1.54 percent in 2024, one of the lowest since 1958, as a supporting factor.

The government's rice stock is currently quite safe, with government rice reserves (CBP) reaching 3.8 million tons, the highest stock in history.

— UnknownAn official statement regarding the national rice reserves.

The administration under President Prabowo Subianto views the cessation of rice imports as a matter of national pride, particularly for an agrarian nation that has previously achieved self-sufficiency. The government highlights robust national rice stocks, with reserves reaching 3.8 million tons – the highest in history. Projections estimate national stock to reach 12.5 million tons by the end of 2025, sufficient for nearly five months of consumption in 2026. National Food Agency head, Andi Amran Sulaiman, assures that stocks are ample for upcoming periods, and the government is actively managing price and stock stability across regions. The policy is also credited with contributing to a decrease in international rice prices, from $640 to the $400s per metric ton.

National rice stock is very capable and safe until Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr.

— Andi Amran SulaimanThe Head of the National Food Agency reassured the public about rice availability.
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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