Prabowo affirms food self-sufficiency amid geopolitical tensions
Praise be to God, a great deal has been achieved. We are now food self-sufficient, including rice, maize, and our protein.
Jakarta — President Prabowo Subianto affirmed that Indonesia has successfully achieved food self-sufficiency, highlighting shrimp production in Kebumen, Central Java, amid the uncertainty and geopolitical conflicts affecting many parts of the world today.
This achievement is the result of strategic government steps over the last 19 months to strengthen the self-reliance of the food sector in order to secure the stability of the people’s basic needs.
‘Praise be to God, we can say 18 months since I have led the government from October 2024, one year and seven months. So 19 months. Praise be to God, a lot has been achieved. We are now food self-sufficient in food, rice, maize, and our protein,’ said President Prabowo, as quoted from a YouTube broadcast by the Secretariat of the President in Jakarta, on Saturday.
Meanwhile, for the meat commodities, the government is currently accelerating production with the target of full self-sufficiency expected to be realised within four to five years.
In the midst of a global environment marked by geopolitical tensions, the President emphasised that Indonesia must possess a robust defence capability. This is deemed crucial to protect the nation’s natural wealth from foreign interference or actors seeking to dominate domestic resources.
‘We are grateful to the Almighty that we are not involved, but we are vigilant. We must have strength. Therefore we are building our defence capabilities to safeguard our wealth. And now our wealth, we manage ourselves,’ the President asserted.
In addition to food and defence, the President highlighted the importance of closing loopholes that allow the loss of state wealth which have hampered broad welfare. The President is fully committed to ensuring that such wealth is managed transparently and enjoyed directly by all Indonesians, not by a few.
The government continues to expand the model of productive project development to various regions, such as the development of shrimp and fish ponds in Waingapu, Gorontalo, and the Pantura area, West Java. This step is an integral part of the government’s broad strategy to increase value added, create jobs, and strengthen Indonesia’s position amid challenging global economic dynamics.
The government’s efforts to strengthen food security are realised through massive and productive economic infrastructure development. One prime example is the Tambak Budidaya Udang Berbasis Kawasan (BUBK) in Kebumen, which has integrated modern technology on a 100-hectare site.
To date, by the eighth operating cycle, the Kebumen BUBK has produced 1,151,497 kg of shrimp, contributing Rp83.3 billion to Non-Tax State Revenue (PNBP).
Moreover, the area consistently employs 145 permanent workers and 500 daily casual workers each day, making it a model of modernising the fishing sector with a direct impact on the local economy.