Corn Production in the First Half of 2026 Projected to Decline to 8.33 Million Tons

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) estimates that national corn production in the first half of 2026 will decline in line with the weakening harvest performance at the start of the year.

BPS Deputy for Distribution and Services Statistics Ateng Hartono stated that dry shelled corn production with 14% moisture content from January to June 2026 is projected to reach 8.33 million tons.

“This figure represents a decrease of 0.23 million tons or 2.69% compared to January through June 2025,” Ateng said during a press conference on Monday (4/5/2026).

Ateng explained that the decline is due to reduced harvested area and production in March 2026.

Accordingly, corn production in March 2026 is estimated at 1.40 million tons, a 14.23% drop from 1.64 million tons in the same period the previous year.

“The harvested area for shelled corn in March 2026 reached 0.25 million hectares. This is lower than the conditions in March 2025,” he said.

However, the increase in harvested area has not fully managed to boost production. The potential corn production for the April-June 2026 period is estimated at 3.77 million tons, still down 1.17% from the same period in 2025.

Cumulatively, the harvested area for corn from January to June 2026 is projected to reach 1.46 million hectares, a decrease of about 0.04 million hectares or 2.51% compared to the same period the previous year.

Ateng added that the potential harvested area figures could still change depending on field conditions, including the possibility of some crops being harvested young or used as livestock feed.

“These potential figures will naturally change depending on several current conditions from field observations, as I mentioned earlier,” he concluded.