JAKARTA – Indonesia’s chance to achieve food self-sufficiency by 2027 is increasingly promising. The country has the potential to repeat the success of rice self-sufficiency, as achieved in 1984, supported by the vast land resources, advancements in agricultural technology, and government incentives for farmers.
The Secretary General of the National Food Agency (Bapanas), Sarwo Edhy, stated that President Prabowo Subianto has set the goal of achieving food self-sufficiency by 2027.
“I am optimistic that this target will be achieved. What’s important is how we can optimize the available land in Indonesia,” he said.
Indonesia has 191.09 million hectares of land, with around 9.44 million hectares of non-tidal wetlands and 31.12 million hectares of tidal land.
Out of this, approximately 12.23 million hectares can be utilized for productive agriculture.
“If we can optimize just one million hectares of tidal land, the impact would be significant,” Sarwo said.
If an additional three million hectares can be utilized, Indonesia could meet the food needs for 400-500 million people.
Sarwo also highlighted the potential of 144 million hectares of dry land that can support food security, especially if desalination technology is applied to convert seawater into freshwater for agricultural irrigation. “If this technology is widely implemented, Indonesia will be stronger in food security,” he added.
The Director of Agricultural Irrigation at the Ministry of Agriculture, Dhani Gartina, emphasized that the government continues to support various strategic programs, including strengthening the irrigation system and optimizing agricultural technology.
“By strengthening irrigation and pumping systems, food self-sufficiency can be achieved soon,” he said.
Member of Commission IV of the Indonesian Parliament from the PKB faction, Rina Sa’adah, assessed that President Prabowo is moving quickly by issuing Presidential Instruction (Inpres) Number 2 of 2025 on Irrigation.
“Mr. President is acting swiftly. This is proof of his seriousness in achieving food self-sufficiency,” she said.
According to Rina, the issuance of the Inpres is very appropriate because irrigation is a key factor in the sustainability of agriculture.
“An audit by the Ministry of Public Works indicated that 46 percent of agricultural irrigation systems are damaged, while 30.6 percent of farmers do not have access to irrigation,” she explained.
Data from the National Food Agency records that the national rice requirement in 2025 will be around 30.975 million tons, while production is estimated to reach 32.291 million tons. However, the conversion of agricultural land reduces the area of rice fields.
“The Irrigation Inpres is urgently needed to increase national rice production and accelerate sustainable food self-sufficiency,” stressed Rina.
