Deputy Agriculture Minister Assures Fertiliser Stock Remains Secure Amid Global Geopolitics

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Minister of Agriculture Sudaryono has assured that the national fertiliser availability remains secure despite global distribution disruptions caused by conflicts impacting the world fertiliser supply chain.

“So for our fertiliser needs, our farmers, millions of farmers who require fertiliser and subsidised fertiliser, it is safe domestically without any disruptions,” said the Deputy Minister after receiving a visit from the Australian Ambassador to Indonesia, Roderick Brazier, in Jakarta on Wednesday evening.

According to him, the disruption of the Strait of Hormuz route affects international fertiliser supplies, as much of the world’s fertiliser distribution passes through that area in global trade.

Nevertheless, Indonesia is relatively stable because domestic natural gas-based urea production is sufficient to meet farmers’ needs without significant dependence on imported raw materials.

With total fertiliser production reaching around 14.5 million tonnes, the government is optimistic that national needs can be fulfilled while maintaining agricultural sector stability amid global dynamics.

“Our (production) is sufficient. The total national urea fertiliser requirement is around 6.8 million tonnes,” explained the Deputy Minister.

In the field, he continued, the high uptake of fertiliser by farmers is a positive signal of increased planting activities, aligning with efforts to boost national food production.

Nevertheless, he acknowledged that distribution sometimes experiences brief delays due to high demand, but fertiliser availability is generally guaranteed and adequate.

The government is also continuously monitoring fertiliser needs based on national planting data recorded routinely by agricultural extension workers in various regions.

This step is taken to ensure a balance between production, distribution, and fertiliser needs at the farmer level remains optimally maintained.

“This is a positive signal. Why? It means our farmers are redeeming fertiliser, which indicates a lot of planting. So if many are redeeming fertiliser, it means a lot of planting,” added the Deputy Minister.

With this condition, the government emphasises that the national fertiliser sector has sufficient resilience to face global pressures while supporting the sustainability of agricultural production.