Ministry of Agriculture: Tobacco Plays a Strategic Role in the Economy

Director General of Plantations at the Ministry of Agriculture, Ali Jamil, has affirmed that the government continues to strengthen the national plantation sector through improved product quality and better governance so that it can compete in the global market.

According to Ali, the government wants Indonesia to become a key player in the global trade chain by providing support to businesses, ranging from improving product quality and export training to providing market intelligence and connecting businesses with prospective overseas buyers.

“We must start becoming a key player in the global trade chain. The government is ready to provide support, from improving product quality, export training and market intelligence, to helping connect businesses with prospective buyers abroad,” Ali said in a written statement on Wednesday, 8 July 2026.

He said there remain a number of challenges that need to be addressed, particularly concerning post-harvest handling, storage, packaging, distribution and supply chain governance. According to him, improvements in these areas will enhance the competitiveness of Indonesian plantation commodities on the international market.

Ali also assessed that Indonesia has enormous potential in terms of both natural and human resources to develop a range of superior plantation commodities, including oil palm, coffee, cocoa, coconut and tobacco.

In his view, tobacco also plays a strategic role, as it is one of the sources of livelihood for farmers in various regions and forms part of the national plantation ecosystem that contributes to the economy.

“We have very great potential, both in terms of natural resources and human resources,” Ali said.