Prabowo Highlights Australia, India, and Philippines Purchasing Indonesian Fertiliser
President Prabowo Subianto has revealed that conflicts in the Middle East and the potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz have caused global panic regarding the distribution of energy and fertiliser raw materials. “It has now been proven that many countries are struggling and panicking because of the war in the Middle East. If the Strait of Hormuz is closed, 20 per cent of the world’s oil passes through that strait,” stated Prabowo during the inauguration of the 1,601 Merah Putih Cooperatives in Nganjuk, East Java, last Saturday.
Prabowo noted that he had received reports from the Minister of Agriculture indicating that numerous countries are requesting fertiliser supplies from Indonesia. He specifically mentioned that Australia has requested assistance in purchasing 500,000 tonnes of urea from Indonesia. “Australia has asked for our help. We are selling 500,000 tonnes of urea to Australia,” said Prabowo.
In addition to Australia, Prabowo stated that other nations, including the Philippines, India, Bangladesh, and Brazil, have also begun requesting fertiliser supplies. “The Philippines is asking us, India is asking us, Bangladesh is asking us, Brazil is asking us. My order is to help them all,” Prabowo said.
In response to these requests, the President stated that the government has decided to assist these nations, noting that Indonesia’s global position is shifting towards that of a provider of aid. “We are not euphoric, nor are we arrogant. But we are now on the side that is able to provide assistance,” he emphasised.
The Minister of Agriculture, Andi Amran Sulaiman, previously revealed that Indonesia’s urea fertiliser exports to Australia are expected to reach approximately Rp7 trillion with a total volume of 500,000 tonnes. This achievement symbolises the strengthening of Indonesia’s position in the global fertiliser supply chain and marks a transition from a country previously facing supply issues to one with a national fertiliser production surplus. In the initial stage, Indonesia exported 47,250 tonnes of urea fertiliser valued at around Rp600 billion.
“Our plan is to export 250,000 tonnes to Australia and subsequently increase that to 500,000 tonnes,” he said. Minister Amran added that this success demonstrates the increasing competitiveness of the national fertiliser industry and opens new market opportunities. He noted that following Australia, the government is directing the strengthening of national fertiliser export markets towards other strategic nations such as India, the Philippines, Brazil, and Bangladesh. “Furthermore, the Indian Ambassador has contacted me directly requesting 500,000 tonnes, and several other countries are also interested, namely the Philippines, Brazil, and Bangladesh. We are grateful and proud of this,” Amran concluded.