Speaking at the ESG Now Awards 2025 in Jakarta, Hasan said the policy has already shown positive results, citing a rise in the farmer’s terms of trade index from 101–106 to 124 over the past year.
“I’ve received a presidential decree on the acceleration of food self-sufficiency. We’ve seen a surplus of 4 million tons of rice,” he said.
President Prabowo Subianto signed Presidential Decree No. 19 of 2025 to establish a coordination team overseeing fast-tracked development in food, energy, and water self-sufficiency areas.
The team will monitor, evaluate, and synchronize efforts across ministries and local governments.
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Hasan said rising agricultural productivity has directly improved incomes in rural areas. The price of unhusked rice, for example, increased from 5,000 rupiah (around $0.30) to 6,500 rupiah per kilogram.
To reduce dependency on middlemen, the government has also launched the Red-and-White Village Cooperatives program, enabling farmers to sell directly to the market.
The broader goal, Hasan said, is to shift food control away from large corporations and toward local communities, in line with the principles of the Pancasila economy.
The food self-sufficiency program is also expected to support the government’s Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) initiative, which targets 82.9 million beneficiaries, including schoolchildren.
“Imagine if each beneficiary receives one egg per day. That’s 82 million eggs daily. We’ll also need large quantities of vegetables, rice, fish, and fruit,” Hasan said.
He emphasized that the program will not only secure national food supplies but also create sustainable demand for locally produced agricultural goods.
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Translator: Bayu Saputra, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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