Coordinating Minister Zulhas: Rice And Corn Swasembada Will Be Announced By The End Of The Year

Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan (Photo: Doc. VOI)

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan stated that Indonesia is ready to enter a new phase of food independence. He said the government would announce the achievement of self-sufficiency in rice and corn by the end of 2025.

(Swasembada) for rice and corn commodities. Yes, at the end of the year. Later let the Minister of Agriculture (Andi Amran Sulaiman) announce it," he said after the BIG Conference 2025 event in Jakarta, Monday, December 8.

The man who is familiarly called Zulhas said that the projected national rice production at the end of 2025 is estimated to reach 34.7 million tons. This figure is an increase from the achievement of 2024 which is at 30 million tons.

According to Zulhas, this production leap has prevented the government from importing rice throughout 2025.

"Alhamdulillah, last year we imported 4.5 million tons of rice, this year the imports are non," he said.

However, Zulhas has not disclosed in detail the domestic supply of corn which is the basis for the declaration of self-sufficiency. He only reminded that last year Indonesia was still importing around 2 million tons of corn for the industry.

Furthermore, Zulhas emphasized that food independence is an absolute requirement for Indonesia to advance to become a developed country. He said, there is not a single developed country that is not sovereign in the food sector.

If we are sovereign in the food sector, then one-third of our problems can be solved. Because the poor are farmers, number two are fishermen, number three are farmers. If we can solve this, one-third of our problems can be solved," he said.