In his office's statement cited here on Monday, Sudaryono underlined that the government had set a target for Bulog to acquire around three million tons of locally produced rice at the government's purchasing price of Rp6,500 per kilogram.
The deputy minister remarked that the government had allocated a budget to drive the realization of the target while boosting the welfare of Indonesian rice farmers.
In view of this, Sudaryono emphasized the importance of ensuring effective absorption and distribution mechanisms for rice to protect farmers and consumers from possible malpractices.
Furthermore, he highlighted that the Ministry of Agriculture had taken various measures to ramp up Indonesia's crop yields, including by expanding planting areas.
Related news: Indonesia eyes water-efficient farming to boost rice production
Last year, he remarked that the ministry managed 1.7 million hectares of land capable of supporting two harvests annually. For 2025, the government aims to open 2.5 million hectares of similar land with the assistance of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI).
The deputy minister then referenced data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS), indicating that Indonesia is projected to have a surplus of four million tons of rice by May this year.
"This projected surplus is expected to encourage farmers to continue boosting crop production in a bid to support the food self-sufficiency target," he stated.
He then highlighted that the government had also decided to pay special attention to corn by seeking help from the National Police (Police) to promote increased planting to meet domestic needs and target export markets.
The official then expressed hope that the varied measures would help Indonesia solidify its food security, slash reliance on imports, and improve the living standards of farmers.
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Translator: Muhammad H, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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