Food Self-Sufficiency Accelerated: Zulhas Needed Only 3 Meetings, Here Are the Results

Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan (Zulhas) has revealed a series of measures that became the key to Indonesia’s success in achieving rice self-sufficiency, even faster than the previously set target. According to him, this success was achieved through a series of policies that favour farmers, ranging from simplifying fertiliser regulations to raising the price of unhusked rice. Zulhas stated that the food self-sufficiency policy is one of the main agendas of President Prabowo Subianto’s administration. He said the policy is an effort to correct an approach used for decades that tended to rely on imports when domestic supply was insufficient. “Therefore, the President’s main policy is that we must achieve food self-sufficiency, because self-sufficiency is sovereignty, and sovereignty is honour,” Zulhas said during CNBC Indonesia’s Economic Update 2026 on Tuesday (23/6/2026). He explained that the government’s first step was to overhaul the management of subsidised fertilisers. An evaluation found that fertiliser uptake had been low due to convoluted bureaucratic processes. “We looked at fertiliser. We studied it, the President Director of Pupuk Indonesia came and presented, and it turned out that fertiliser usage absorbed was only 6 million tonnes. After the presentation, I saw the regulations were complicated, long-winded, and circular, so fertiliser absorbed was only 6 million tonnes,” he said. Zulhas recounted that the government eventually slashed fertiliser distribution rules from 145 regulations to just three. After the President issued a Presidential Regulation, fertiliser could be available before the planting season began. “I held meetings here three times, we cut from 145 regulations down to three,” he said. As a result, fertiliser uptake in 2025 increased to 9.55 million tonnes, a rise of about 58% compared to the previous period. “The President immediately issued a Presidential Regulation, and it was implemented in December. By January, fertiliser was already available before planting. And in 2025, 9.55 million tonnes were absorbed. So it rose by approximately 58%,” Zulhas stated. He noted that the increased use of fertiliser contributed to a productivity increase of around 7% to 8%. “So, as a result of good fertiliser, favouring farmers, fixing the supply chain, and improving regulations, the nine and a half million tonnes of fertiliser absorbed has already increased productivity by roughly 7% to 8%,” he said. Besides fertiliser, the government also overhauled the irrigation sector, which had been considered one of the obstacles to increasing national food production. Based on the government’s evaluation, Indonesia’s total rice field area is around 7.4 million hectares, but the planted area was only about 10 million hectares. “We studied what the problem was, oh, irrigation,” Zulhas said. Therefore, the government changed the rules so that irrigation repairs could be directly handled by the central government without being hampered by the division of authority between regional and central governments. “So we proposed a Presidential Regulation, changing it so that irrigation of any size can be worked on by the central government. The President quickly issued the Presidential Regulation, and the Public Works budget was diverted (partially) to complete irrigation projects,” he mentioned. The next strategy was to improve farmers’ welfare through a grain pricing policy. The government decided that the reference purchase price for unhusked rice would be set at Rp6,500 per kilogramme without any moisture content conditions, which had previously often been a loophole for price manipulation at the farmer level. “We decided that unhusked rice would rise to Rp6,500, any quality. No notes about 14-18% moisture content. Simply put, at harvest, buy at Rp6,500 per kg, full stop,” Zulhas said. According to him, this policy successfully increased farmers’ interest in planting rice because the profits they earned became better. “Finally, Alhamdulillah, in 2025, unhusked rice up to now, there is no more below Rp6,500 (per kg). The average price of unhusked rice is already Rp6,500 (per kg) and above,” he said. Zulhas stated that the combination of fertiliser and grain pricing policies has provided a significant additional production. Coupled with supportive weather conditions and the use of water pumps to anticipate water shortages, Indonesia recorded a rice surplus of up to 4.2 million tonnes in 2025. Under these conditions, Indonesia no longer imported rice in 2025. “So we no longer import rice in 2025, but we have excess stock of 4.2 million tonnes,” he said. Going forward, the government is preparing a number of measures to ensure that rice self-sufficiency remains sustainable. One of these is through a programme to create new rice fields in several regions such as Merauke, Central Kalimantan, and South Sumatra. “We are creating new rice fields, there is the one in Merauke that has been causing a stir. That is just about to start printing the fields. There is also the Agriculture Minister creating them in Central Kalimantan and in South Sumatra,” Zulhas said. In addition, the government is also preparing protection for sustainable agricultural land so that it cannot be converted into residential or industrial areas. “So, land that is already designated as sustainable, this land can no longer be changed into anything, whether houses or factories. No longer allowed,” he stressed. The government is also partnering with the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) to develop superior varieties and seeds to increase rice productivity in the future. “We are cooperating with BRIN. So we want the development of new varieties, new seeds, so that our rice productivity increases significantly compared to before,” he concluded.