Iran Halts Food Exports, PKB Urges Indonesia to Strengthen Domestic Production

Daniel Johan, a member of the House of Representatives’ Commission IV and head of the PKB’s central leadership, responded to Iran’s government policy of suspending exports of all food and agricultural products due to the war situation. Daniel said the policy could potentially trigger global impacts, including on Indonesia.

That region is closely linked to global energy and fertiliser supplies, and when conflicts escalate, oil prices and logistics costs typically rise. The knock-on effects could spread to agricultural production costs, animal feed, distribution, and consumer food prices.

Daniel emphasised the importance of strengthening domestic food production. He reminded that Indonesia should not be overly dependent on imports, especially for strategic commodities.

“The government must ensure the availability of fertilisers, seeds, and financing support for farmers remains in place, while also maintaining energy price stability to prevent production costs from leaping,” he said.

In addition to boosting production, Daniel asked the government to anticipate the global upheaval by strengthening national food reserves. Daniel urged optimising the absorption of farmers’ harvests and tightening distribution oversight.

“To prevent speculation or hoarding. Such practices are usually prone to occur during turmoil, so cross-ministerial coordination is important to ensure energy, trade, and agricultural policies operate in harmony,” he said.

“The global impact may not be wholly avoidable, but with stronger domestic production and good stock management, we can ensure that shortages do not occur and that the public remains protected,” he added.

Iran Halts Food and Agricultural Exports

Earlier, the Iranian government announced a ban on exports of all food and agricultural products. It was issued as clashes between Iran and Israel and the United States raged for the fourth day.

“The export of all food and agricultural products has been banned until further notice,” the Iranian government statement said, as reported by Tasnim News Agency and AFP, on Tuesday (3/3).

Iran is now prioritising essential goods for domestic needs. Iran has activated an emergency plan since day one of the US-Israel strikes, namely Saturday (28 Feb).

“The Government has prioritised the supply of essential goods for the people,” the Iranian statement said.