Minister of Agriculture Amran Sulaiman has assured that Indonesia\u2019s\nfood security remains very strong despite global pressures stemming from\ngeopolitical tensions. \u201cWe are very strong. When world food prices rise,\nfertiliser prices rise, and fuel prices rise, Indonesia\u2019s subsidised\nfuel prices do not rise, right? Secondly, our food prices are stable,\nright?\u201d Amran said during the CNBC Indonesia Economic Update 2026 on\nMonday (22\/6\/2026). He noted that rice, previously the largest\ncontributor to inflation, is now stable. At the same time, Indonesia is\nsupplying 10,000 tonnes of rice to assist Palestinians and exporting\nfertiliser to countries like Australia, even as global fertiliser\nsupplies become scarce due to the domino effect of the Middle East\nconflict. \u201cThis shows Indonesia is strong. If we believe we are strong,\nthe results will be good. We must be grateful, our natural resources are\nabundant,\u201d he added. Currently, several countries are queuing to import\nfertiliser from Indonesia, which has a surplus of 1.5 million tonnes,\nthough exports will only proceed once domestic needs are fully\nsecured.<\/p>\n
Amran emphasised that Indonesia has achieved food self-sufficiency,\nas declared by President Prabowo Subianto on 7 January 2026. The focus\nnow is on maintaining this self-sufficiency and prioritising farmer\nwelfare. He warned that if farmer welfare is not guaranteed and\ncontinues to erode, it will impact national food production, potentially\nleading to national famine with 1-2 million direct victims. Responding\nto complaints about high rice prices, Amran argued that farmers work in\nthe mud for four months and earn only Rp30,000 to Rp75,000 per day, far\nless than an office worker\u2019s Rp200,000. He questioned the conscience of\nthose demanding lower rice prices, which would further reduce farmers\u2019\nincomes. He cautioned that constant demands to lower prices could force\nfarmers to stop planting, jeopardising the nation\u2019s last line of food\ndefence.<\/p>\n
The government is prioritising downstream processing to add value to\nagricultural products. Amran cited the example of coconuts, where\nprocessing could increase export value from Rp24 trillion to Rp2,400\ntrillion. Programmes like the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) initiative and\nthe Red and White Village Cooperatives are also key supports. The MBG\nprogramme acts as an off-taker for 160 million farmers, while the\ncooperatives shorten the supply chain from eight stages to three,\nstrengthening farmers and public purchasing power. The Central\nStatistics Agency (BPS) recorded that the Farmers\u2019 Terms of Trade (NTP)\nrose to 127.73 in May 2026, a 1.99% increase from April, indicating that\nfarmer incomes are growing faster than their costs. Amran hailed this as\nproof that government programmes are delivering real benefits, stating,\n\u201cWe want farmers to be more prosperous. The focus is not only on\nincreasing production but also ensuring the results have good economic\nvalue.\u201d<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/the-fate-of-indonesian-farmers-under-prabowos-administration-1782132731", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }