TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Minister of Agriculture Amran Sulaiman emphasized that boosting national rice reserves remains the government's top priority before allowing rice exports, even as production surges and stock levels reach 3.18 million tons.
"We need to ensure the strength of our stock first," Amran stated during a National Coordination Meeting with 37,000 agricultural extension workers, as quoted by Antara on April 27, 2025.
Amran’s remarks responded to President Prabowo Subianto’s earlier statement signaling openness to rice exports due to production surplus. Amran made clear that exports would only be considered once domestic supply is fully secure, especially in the face of unpredictable climate change impacts on global food production.
"What's important is that we have enough domestically. We need to ensure our sufficiency, and if necessary, we need to ensure it's more than sufficient. Why? Because the climate is unpredictable," he added.
Amran warned about extreme weather risks, citing food crises in Japan, Malaysia, and the Philippines as cautionary examples. He asserted that Indonesia is making significant strides toward food self-sufficiency, with national food security becoming a key priority in an increasingly volatile global environment.
"We need to anticipate the worst. We must not let what happened to Japan, Malaysia, and the Philippines happen here," said Amran.
President Prabowo earlier gave approval for rice exports to several countries, citing abundant production. He didn’t specify destinations, but Malaysia has expressed interest in buying Indonesian rice.
"I received reports from the Minister of Agriculture, the Minister of Food Affairs, several countries asked us to send them rice. I permit it! And I instruct that we send them rice," Prabowo declared during the launch of the Indonesian Planting Movement (Gerina) in Banyuasin, South Sumatra, on April 23, 2025.
He also stressed that exports, if necessary, should prioritize humanitarian needs over profit.
"If needed, based on humanitarian grounds, we should not seek excessive profits. What's important is production costs, plus transportation (distribution), and administrative costs. We prove that Indonesia is no longer a nation that begs, but a nation that can help and give to other nations," Prabowo said.
Indonesia's Rice Stock Hits Historic High
Minister Amran noted that the current rice stock, at 3.18 million tons, is the highest in 23 years--possibly the highest since independence.
He also reported that national rice production increased by 50-62 percent from January to April 2025, based on data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS). Amran considered this a remarkable achievement amid regional food crises and price hikes.
"At this moment, we have a surplus (of rice), while friendly countries, neighboring countries like Malaysia, the Philippines, and Japan are having food difficulties. This is our pride," he said.
President Prabowo’s long-standing push for food self-sufficiency was reiterated at a Cabinet Plenary Session in December 2024, where he expressed optimism that Indonesia would not need to import rice in 2025.
"And it is very likely and I firmly believe that in 2025, we will not import rice again," he said.
Deputy Minister Sudaryono also reported a 2.8 to 3 million ton surplus as of April 2025 compared to the previous year.
The National Food Agency (Bapanas) has credited Indonesia’s import ban policy with contributing to a drop in global rice prices. According to agency head Arief Prasetyo Adi, rice prices fell from US$640 to near US$400 per metric ton, due in part to Indonesia’s reduced reliance on imports.
Meanwhile, Amran revealed that some rice-exporting countries were unhappy with Indonesia’s rising production, as it limited their export markets.
"Yesterday, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) said that rice production in Indonesia has jumped significantly, and their words were disappointing for exporters from other countries," said Amran.
Hendrik Khoirul Muhid and Melynda Dwi Puspita contributed to the writing of this article.
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