NGANJUK - President Prabowo Subianto asked the government to be careful selling Indonesia's food reserves in the midst of a global crisis. The message was conveyed when he inaugurated 1,061 Red and White Village/Neighborhood Cooperatives in Nganjuk, East Java, Saturday, May 16, 2026.
Prabowo said a number of countries began asking for rice from Indonesia after India stopped exporting food.
"Many countries come to us to ask to buy rice," said Prabowo.
However, he reminded the government not to sell too cheaply because the global situation is still unstable.
"The crisis could be long. The main thing is to secure our people first," he said.
Prabowo assessed that this condition proves the importance of food self-sufficiency. He admitted that from the beginning he rejected the view that imports are more efficient than domestic production.
"Food is not just a commodity. Food is the survival of the nation," said Prabowo.
He explained that his experience as a former soldier made him understand the importance of logistics and food in maintaining the country.
"If the troops don't have rice, they can't fight," he said.
Prabowo also praised the Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman who was considered successful in accelerating the achievement of food self-sufficiency.
In addition to rice, Indonesia is now also beginning to export fertilizer to a number of countries such as Australia, the Philippines, and Bangladesh.
According to Prabowo, village cooperatives will be an important part of maintaining the national food distribution chain. Cooperatives will have warehouses, logistics fleets, and facilities for absorbing farmers' harvests.
He said farmers have often lost money because it is difficult to sell their crops.
"Now the cooperative has its own truck. He can deliver the harvest to where he wants," he said.
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