Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto reaffirmed the government’s commitment to achieving national food self-sufficiency. In his State Address at the Annual Session of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) at the Parliament Complex in Senayan, the President announced a historic achievement: national rice stocks had reached 4.2 million tons, the highest in Indonesian history.
“For the first time in decades, Indonesia is again exporting rice and corn,” President Prabowo stated optimistically. He emphasized that food self-sufficiency is a solid foundation for national resilience, and that Indonesia must no longer be trapped in a reliance on rice imports.
As part of its broader food self-sufficiency strategy, the government has opened up 2 million hectares of new agricultural land across various regions. The primary focus is on Merauke, South Papua, which is considered to have significant potential as a future food barn.
This step was accompanied by concrete pro-farmer policies, including increasing the purchase price of unhusked rice to IDR 6,500 per kilogram, reducing bureaucratic red tape in fertilizer distribution, and providing assistance with modern agricultural tools and machinery.
“Farmers are now smiling because the price of unhusked rice is stable and their income is increasing,” said the President.
Prabowo believes that the combination of new land clearing, increased grain prices, and efficient fertilizer distribution will create a productive, modern, and sustainable agricultural ecosystem. These efforts, he believes, will not only ensure food availability but also improve the welfare of farmers throughout Indonesia.
Official data from the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) shows that national rice stocks currently stand at 4,251,259 tons. This figure comprises government reserves of 4,237,120 tons and commercial stocks of 14,139 tons. This figure is the highest since Bulog’s founding in 1969, marking a new chapter in national food self-sufficiency.
This achievement is a strong signal that the government’s long-trumpeted vision of food self-sufficiency is not merely talk, but a concrete program producing positive impacts. With the full support of farmers, agricultural technology innovation, and integrated policies, Indonesia is moving steadily toward food sovereignty, capable of bolstering national resilience amidst global dynamics.
