Prabowo in Kebumen: Zulhas Reshuffle Jest to Food Self-Sufficiency

President Prabowo Subianto attended a large-scale shrimp harvest in Kebumen, Central Java, on Saturday, 23 May 2026. During the visit, Prabowo made several statements ranging from joking about reshuffling Food Coordinator Minister Zulkifli Hasan to delaying new government building construction, claiming government achievements, and setting targets for meat self-sufficiency over the next four to five years.

Prabowo Jokes About Reshuffling Zulkifli Hasan

Prabowo jokingly expressed a desire to replace Food Coordinator Minister Zulkifli Hasan after the minister misspoke the name of the village they were visiting. Initially, Prabowo wanted to announce the name of the harvest location village, and Zulkifli whispered to the Gerindra Party Chairman that the village was named Karangduwur. However, residents immediately shouted corrections, informing them that the correct village name was Tegalretno. Prabowo then invited a resident to the podium to announce the correct village name through a loudspeaker. “Tegalretno Village, Petahanan District,” the man said.

The President then joked about wanting to remove Zulhas, as Zulkifli Hasan is nicknamed, from his position due to providing incorrect information. “Ouch, this Coordinator Minister got it wrong earlier. Wrong name. Should he be reshuffled perhaps?” Prabowo said before residents, according to a Presidential Secretariat broadcast.

Prabowo Calls for Delay in New Government Building Construction

Prabowo asked government agencies to postpone the construction of new buildings. He argued that new offices without urgent needs need not be rushed into construction. Prabowo believes the state should focus on increasing people’s wealth, and therefore government work must be productive.

“So sorry, let’s delay building many offices, offices, offices. Offices are necessary, of course. But there should not be offices with no productivity,” Prabowo said. The former Defence Minister stated that the state must be able to provide added value to citizens even without grand offices. Prabowo said people need income and employment more. Therefore, he asked his subordinates to postpone new office construction if not urgent.

Prabowo Claims Government Has Achieved Several Successes

Prabowo claimed to have recorded several achievements since taking office in October 2024, including success in achieving self-sufficiency in several food commodities. Over his 19 months in government, he claimed numerous targets are being realised. “In 19 months, praise be, much has already been achieved,” he said.

Prabowo stated that Indonesia has now achieved self-sufficiency in rice and maize. He also assessed that the condition of national food production is relatively safe. Nevertheless, Prabowo acknowledged that self-sufficiency has not been achieved for all commodities, particularly animal protein sources. “Our protein—eggs, chicken, and meat—are still not yet,” said the former Defence Minister.

Meat Self-Sufficiency Target

Prabowo stated that Indonesia has the opportunity to achieve meat self-sufficiency in the coming years. He set a target of achieving this within four to five years. According to Prabowo, the government is currently accelerating various efforts to meet this target. “We are working on this, perhaps in four, five years we will achieve meat self-sufficiency,” said the Gerindra Party Chairman.

Prabowo assessed that national food security conditions are relatively safe. He cited that Indonesia has successfully achieved self-sufficiency for major commodities such as rice and maize. However, he acknowledged that several protein sources still depend on supplies from abroad. Nevertheless, the former Defence Minister expressed optimism that Indonesia can reduce import dependency and strengthen food independence in the coming years.