Zulhas Said That Rice Self-Sufficiency Was Achieved, No Imports Needed Until 2026

Coordinating Minister (Menko) for Food Zulkifli Hasan or Zulhas. (Aris-VOI)

Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan or Zulhas stated that the government's target to achieve self-sufficiency in rice was achieved by April 2025.

"We have clear language when we say self-sufficiency until April," he told the media crew, Sunday, April 20.

He said that until April he had managed to absorb 1.5 million tons of rice based on a report from the Minister of Agriculture (Mentan) Amran Sulaiman.

According to him, with this achievement, Indonesia does not need to import rice until next year and if by the end of the year it can reach 2 million tons, meaning that the food self-sufficiency target is almost certainly achieved.

"It's only been April. It means that at the end of the year, if it's 2 million, 99.9 (percent) will be achieved. With 1.5 million, it means that God willing, we will not import rice until next year," he said.

Zulhas conveyed that this success could not be separated from good services, such as accelerating fertilizer distribution, cutting bureaucratic chains, and irrigation development.

According to him in the past, the construction of irrigation had to go through a complicated process, for example with the approval of the regent for 1,000 hectares, and the governor for 3,000 hectares, but now, everything can be done directly by the Ministry of PUPR.

"Because we provide good service, the fertilizer is fast, we cut the long bureaucratic chain. Now we are aiming for irrigation, Irrigation is also complicated. The rules must be that the regent must be 1,000 hectares, 3,000 hectares must be governor, we cut this. All PUs are allowed to work," he said.

Zulhas added that good service will also increase food production at the end of the year.

"Yes, God willing, we believe that later at the end of the year we will increase production again. That is a good example of service," he concluded.