Speaking at a coordination meeting with governors, district heads, and mayors in West Sumatra, Sulaiman said the government was pushing to meet targets set by President Prabowo Subianto.
“If there are no obstacles, by early next year we will achieve food self-sufficiency,” he told officials in Padang.
The minister said the government plans to expand food estates in Merauke in South Papua, South Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan and South Sumatra, aiming to make them among the world’s largest food production hubs through the shift from traditional to modern agriculture.
“These estates will also support downstream processing,” Sulaiman said, adding that large-scale exports of raw materials were expected.
He stressed the importance of downstream industries, saying they would maximize value and boost exports.
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The program, he added, coincides with the growing role of the food sector in gross domestic product, which the Finance Ministry and Central Statistics Agency say is now the highest contributor.
“This is also the President’s vision. He wants efficiency, effectiveness and productivity, and we have shown this in the food sector,” Sulaiman said.
At a meeting with the Regional Representative Council on September15, Sulaiman said rice production had reached 31 million tons by October and was expected to total 34 million tons for the year.
He said Indonesia’s rice reserves had reached 4.2 million tons in 2025, the highest since independence.
Indonesia’s agricultural performance has also gained global recognition. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization estimates the country’s food production could rise to 35.6 million tons, while the US Department of Agriculture forecasts rice output at 34.6 million tons in 2025, the highest in Southeast Asia.
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Translator: Muhammad Zulfikar, Kuntum Khaira Riswan
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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