By: Nur Utunissa
National agricultural production has shown significant growth in recent years, signaling Indonesia’s significant strides toward achieving food self-sufficiency. The increasingly robust performance of the agricultural sector not only reflects success in increasing production quantity but also reflects the nation’s ability to improve resource management, strengthen infrastructure, and maximize innovation in cultivation systems and post-harvest management. With increasingly abundant harvests, a more organized distribution chain, and improved quality of increasingly competitive food crops, Indonesia is now making more strides toward achieving food sovereignty and national production independence.
The agricultural sector holds a strategic position in Indonesia’s economic structure. To date, most key food commodities, such as rice, corn, soybeans, sugar, and various horticultural crops, still require significant effort to fully meet national needs. However, increased production over the past two to three years has provided new impetus for efforts to strengthen domestic food reserves. Land productivity is improving, agricultural technology is becoming more widely used, and dependence on imports is gradually decreasing. This trend demonstrates that Indonesia has a significant opportunity to build stable, long-term food security, even going beyond simply meeting consumption needs and moving toward export opportunities.
Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman stated that the 2025 production estimate also surpassed the previous peak of 31.54 million tons in 2022. This production achievement strongly signals that Indonesia is on the verge of achieving rice self-sufficiency. Furthermore, Amran stated that the government continues to strengthen various strategic programs, such as new rice fields, land optimization, irrigation network rehabilitation, and the use of agricultural technology. This is also driven by policies that favor farmers.
Real progress in agriculture is inseparable from improvements in the quality of superior seeds, more efficient fertilizer systems, and the application of modern mechanization in the cultivation process. In many food-producing regions, the use of agricultural machinery has reduced production time and costs, while increasing harvest capacity. The combination of traditional farmer knowledge and new technology has created more productive work patterns that are adaptive to climate change. Land that was previously capable of producing only once a year can now in some areas produce double, or even triple, harvests in a single planting period. This efficiency allows for significant increases in output without the need for large-scale expansion of planted areas.
In addition to rice production, which continues to show a positive trend, various other strategic commodities have also experienced increases. Corn, a primary raw material for animal feed and the processed food industry, has seen steady growth. Soybean production, previously a frequently imported commodity, has begun to be boosted through expanded planting areas in several potential regions. Horticultural products such as chilies, onions, tomatoes, and various commercial vegetables have shown more equitable availability throughout the year. This contributes to market price stability, thereby more effectively suppressing food inflation fluctuations. Meanwhile, the plantation sector has made a significant contribution by increasing added value and strengthening the agro-industry supply chain.
As domestic food production increases, the food processing industry is also growing rapidly. Abundant agricultural raw materials are driving the growth of micro, small, and medium enterprises in the food processing sector. The added value created from processing crops not only increases farmers’ incomes but also creates new jobs. Derivative products from corn, soybeans, and cassava are now increasingly diverse and able to enter modern retail markets and digital trading platforms. Rural economies are being stimulated to develop more rapidly because agriculture no longer produces just raw materials but also ready-to-consume products with high economic value.
Food self-sufficiency is also closely linked to social stability and national independence. Food sufficiency is a crucial foundation for maintaining economic resilience, especially amidst global dynamics and the threat of a global food crisis.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto emphasized that the national food policy implemented so far has shown tangible results. In fact, several world leaders have begun to recognize Indonesia’s success in maintaining food stability amidst various global pressures. According to President Prabowo, this international recognition is inseparable from the hard work and synergy of all elements of the nation in building a resilient food system.
The Head of the National Food and Agriculture Agency (Bapanas), Arief Prasetyo Adi, stated that the government’s food policy focuses not only on stock availability but also on strengthening the food system from upstream to downstream. Arief emphasized that the three main pillars that must be maintained are availability, affordability, and accessibility. All three are prerequisites for food security and sovereignty.
If this positive trend is maintained and strengthened on a sustainable basis, Indonesia can enter a new era where various key food commodities will no longer be dependent on imports. This is a long journey that requires real collective effort, but it is slowly beginning to show tangible results and foster confidence that Indonesia’s food future is in its own hands.
*) The author is a Literacy Activist at the Narasi Nusa Institute