Addressing the press in Jakarta on Wednesday (September 10), he cited examples such as Japanese restaurants needing Japanese rice and establishments serving Arabian and Indian cuisine requiring basmati rice—both of which are not replaceable with domestic rice.
"In short, imported rice is only for certain restaurants," Sudaryono stressed.
Emphasizing the limited scope of imports, the deputy minister assured the public that the government would not permit rice inflows for general consumption, as domestic production has proven sufficient.
"Our no-import policy is aimed at rice designated for public consumption. For instance, we are not importing medium-grade rice," he explained.
In addition to rice, Sudaryono stressed that the government is resolute in prohibiting imports of corn and table sugar in 2025, and is determined to optimize domestic production through pro-farmer policies in pursuit of food self-sufficiency.
He noted that President Prabowo Subianto had directed his aides to follow this path, and Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman had been working hard to support the directive.
"We at the Agriculture Ministry support Mr. Amran to ensure that Indonesia does not import rice, corn, and table sugar in 2025," he affirmed.
Earlier, Minister Sulaiman confirmed that Indonesia had not imported rice for public consumption throughout this year—a feat he credited to domestic farmers’ significant contributions to national food security.
"Most importantly, we have not recorded rice imports as of September. In contrast, about three to four million tons of rice were imported last year. We must be proud of Mr. President's initiative," he remarked at the Parliamentary Complex in Jakarta on September 3.
He pointed out that national rice stocks in early September had reached around four million tons, significantly higher than the 1–2 million tons recorded last year.
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Translator: Muhammad H, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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