Tangerang, Banten (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan stated on Wednesday that Indonesia has successfully achieved rice self-sufficiency, with a projected surplus of 4 to 5 million tons this year.

Based on data from the Statistics Indonesia (BPS), rice production in Indonesia is estimated to reach 33.19 million tons between January and November 2025.

This represents an increase of 3.72 million tons, or approximately 12.62 percent, compared to the same period in 2024.

“According to BPS, we will have a surplus of around 4 to 5 million tons by the end of this year. So, we can say that Indonesia has achieved rice self-sufficiency this year,” Hasan said.

He also highlighted government efforts to expand rice farming by developing 481 thousand hectares of new paddy fields in Merauke, South Papua, as part of the Wanam National Strategic Project (PSN) to accelerate food and energy self-sufficiency.

The project development has already started, with a contract signed between state-owned food company PT Agrinas Pangan Nusantara and the program implementers.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman expressed optimism that Indonesia could achieve rice self-sufficiency within the next two to three months, around December 2025 to January 2026.

At the Presidential Office on Thursday (October 9), he explained that this goal aligns with the target set by President Prabowo Subianto, who aims for food self-sufficiency within one year.

The record-high increase in rice production is attributed to improvements in fertilizer distribution directly to farmers, better irrigation systems, agricultural tools and machinery upgrades, regulatory simplification, and the accelerated development of new paddy fields across various regions.



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Translator: Maria, Kenzu
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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