Indonesia No Longer Dependent on Imports! President Prabowo’s Food and Water Self-Sufficiency Earns Praise

By: Amalia Anjani

Indonesia is increasingly demonstrating its resilience in the food sector by reducing dependence on imports. The government of President Prabowo Subianto has succeeded in achieving significant achievements in realizing food and water self-sufficiency, which has received widespread appreciation from various parties. The concrete steps taken have shown real results, strengthening national food security and saving the country’s foreign exchange in large amounts.
The Ministry of Trade (Kemendag) emphasized its support for the food self-sufficiency policy. Minister of Trade Budi Santoso said that this achievement covers four main commodities, namely rice, sugar, salt, and corn. By reducing dependence on imports, Indonesia can save up to 5.2 billion US dollars in foreign exchange. Funds previously used for imports can now be allocated to other sectors that support food security, such as the provision of fertilizers and agricultural production facilities.
The government’s steps in increasing domestic production have also had a broad impact on the welfare of farmers and fishermen. In addition to creating new jobs, this policy reduces Indonesia’s dependence on foreign markets in meeting food needs. The trend of sugar and salt imports that has continued to decline in the last five years is proof that this policy is on the right track.
In supporting the achievement of the food self-sufficiency target in 2027, the synergy between the central and regional governments is increasingly being strengthened. One of the strategic efforts is carried out through food coordination between the central government and East Java Province, which has advantages in the agricultural sector. Various commodities in East Java have shown the potential for self-sufficiency, including palm oil, processed fish, sugar, milk, shallots, soybeans, corn, and chicken. The success of this region is an example that the national self-sufficiency target can be achieved with the right strategy.
In addition to increasing production, the government is also optimizing the agricultural product storage system through the Warehouse Receipt System (SRG) program. A number of warehouses have been prepared to ensure that food stocks are maintained and can be distributed evenly throughout the region. This effort is expected to increase distribution efficiency and prevent food price fluctuations that are detrimental to farmers and consumers.
The success of food self-sufficiency is also reflected in national rice production which has increased rapidly in recent years. Member of Commission IV of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Firman Subagyo, appreciated the government’s real steps in increasing rice harvests. Data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) shows that rice production in the first quarter of this year was the highest in the last seven years, reaching 13.95 million tons. This confirms that Indonesia is increasingly able to survive the global food crisis, while other countries are still facing major challenges in their rice production.
The Head of BPS, Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti, also said that the potential for rice production in the first quarter of 2025 will be the highest in the history of national production in the last seven years. Rice production is estimated to reach 24.22 million tons of dry milled grain (GKG), a significant increase compared to the previous year. In addition, the area of ​​rice harvest also experienced a spike of 26.42 percent compared to the previous year, which shows the success of the government’s strategy to increase agricultural productivity.
This success is not just a short-term achievement, but is part of a grand strategy to ensure food security and farmer welfare in the long term. The government continues to encourage the optimization of agricultural land, strengthen irrigation systems, and develop agricultural technology to increase production efficiency. Food diversification is also a major concern, by encouraging the expansion of corn planting areas and strengthening rice production on dry land.
From an economic perspective, the success of food self-sufficiency provides extraordinary benefits for the country. In addition to saving foreign exchange, increasing domestic production also strengthens national economic resilience. Indonesia is not only able to meet its own food needs, but also has a great opportunity to export superior commodities to the global market. This advantage makes Indonesia an increasingly independent country in the food sector, while opening up new opportunities for farmers and business actors in the agricultural sector.