Prabowo Says Many Countries are Now Seeking Rice Supplies from Indonesia

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto said that several countries are beginning to seek rice supplies from Indonesia after some major food-producing nations halted their exports of the strategic commodity.

The statement was made by Prabowo during the inauguration of 1,061 Desa/Kelurahan Merah Putih (KDKMP) cooperatives in Nganjuk Regency, East Java, on Saturday (16 May 2026).

According to Prabowo, the current global food situation is facing pressure after several countries limited exports of foodstuffs, ranging from rice to wheat.

He said that this situation has led several countries to seek supplies from Indonesia.

“Now many countries are asking to buy rice from us,” he said.

Prabowo mentioned that countries previously considered more advanced are now requesting food supplies from Indonesia. According to him, this condition shows the importance of food security in the face of global uncertainty.

“Our neighbours, those who are better than us, are now coming to Indonesia asking if they can buy rice,” he said.

He asked that the sale of rice to other countries not be done at prices that are too low, thus harming farmers in the country.

“I said, if they need it, we must help, we sell to them, but the price should be reasonable, so that our farmers don’t suffer,” he said.

Prabowo also revealed that some countries have asked for discounts on purchases of Indonesian rice amid the global food crisis.

“Some want to buy rice and then ask for a discount. A very large discount,” he said.

The Head of State also urged the Minister of Agriculture and Bulog (the state logistics agency) to be careful in determining the selling price of rice abroad because the global food crisis is expected to continue for quite some time.

“Our main priority is to secure our own people first,” Prabowo said.