Gov't still studying proposal to add sugar to food assistance program

“Well, in the context of food self-sufficiency, it is certainly important. However, regarding the inclusion of sugar as part of the food aid component, there has not yet been any discussion,” Nurofiq said here on Sunday.

One proposal that has emerged came from sugarcane farmers, who are pushing for sugar to be included in the government’s food aid program.

He said the government appreciates every input from stakeholders as valuable consideration in formulating appropriate and beneficial food policies for the public.

However, he stressed that any discussion on adding new commodities to the food aid program must be conducted carefully, taking into account various interrelated factors.

The Indonesian People’s Sugarcane Farmers Association (APTRI) urged the government to include granulated sugar in the national food aid program to strengthen protection for sugarcane farmers and maintain balance in the domestic sugar market.

APTRI proposed that the government distribute only one kilogram of sugar per food aid package if rice distribution reaches 10 kilograms per beneficiary household.

“There’s no need to give too much sugar because sugar consumption volume is only about 10 percent of rice needs. So if we give 10 kilos of rice, just add one kilo of sugar, especially if sugar is considered expensive,” said APTRI Chairman Soemitro Samadikoen on Monday (May 25).

Currently, the government has distributed food aid in the form of rice and cooking oil to 33.2 million beneficiary families across Indonesia in stages.

In the program, each beneficiary family received 20 kilograms of rice and four liters of cooking oil for the February-March 2026 period.

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Translator: Harianto, Kenzu