Government pushes for sugar self-sufficiency and export downstreaming
The government is intensifying efforts to achieve national sugar self-sufficiency, with Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman affirming his readiness to accelerate the sugarcane replanting programme. The initiative aims to meet the two-year target set by President Prabowo Subianto. “We are ready to carry out the President’s directive. All levels of the Ministry of Agriculture will work optimally with local governments, state-owned enterprises, the private sector, and farmers to realise sugar self-sufficiency within two years,” the minister stated in Jakarta on Sunday.
In the energy sector, Pertamina Patra Niaga has confirmed that fuel distribution in West Sumatra has returned to normal. The improvement follows the stabilisation of traffic conditions along key distribution routes. Area Manager for Communication, Relations & CSR at Pertamina Patra Niaga Regional Sumbagut, Fahrougi Andriani Sumampouw, said accelerated distribution efforts, supported by more conducive traffic, have allowed tanker trucks to reach petrol stations with more optimal travel times.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Cooperatives is targeting younger generations to boost the cooperative movement. Minister of Cooperatives Ferry Juliantono launched the “Gen Coop Run” as part of the 79th National Cooperative Day celebrations, aiming to introduce cooperatives to millennials and Gen Z through a healthy lifestyle event. “Today, we are holding the Gen Coop Run. The Ministry of Cooperatives wants to reach out to the younger generation, to millennials and Gen Z,” the minister said after flagging off thousands of participants in Jakarta on Sunday.
On a separate issue, Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman firmly denied allegations that the government is purchasing land from Papuan communities for Rp100,000 per hectare. He stressed that agricultural land remains under community ownership. “Slander is spreading. One of them is the claim that land is being bought for Rp100,000 per hectare. That is a cruel slander against the government, including against us who are running the programme. The fact is nothing like that,” the minister stated in Jakarta on Sunday.
In trade policy, NEXT Indonesia Center Head of Research Ade Holis stated that strengthening downstreaming and export diversification is a crucial strategy to boost Indonesia’s trade competitiveness and create new sources of economic growth amid global trade dynamics. Ade emphasised the need to accelerate the development of downstream industries in leading sectors such as palm oil, minerals, and manufacturing, so that Indonesian exports are increasingly dominated by high-value-added products.