President Prabowo: Government aims to complete sugarcane replanting within two years

President Prabowo Subianto has stated that the government is pushing to complete the rejuvenation of sugarcane plantations in Indonesia within two years, following a 12-year period without replanting of old, unproductive crops.

During a mass harvest event with the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) in Malang, East Java, on Friday, President Prabowo said Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman reported that the current programme targets 100,000 hectares per year, which would take four years to complete. “But after I asked him again, with courage and confidence, he said, ‘Sir, we can do it in two years,’” the President recounted.

Beyond sugarcane, the President emphasised that the government is accelerating priority programmes, including achieving self-sufficiency in various sectors such as energy and food. “We will accelerate and work hard. But we are already seeing results. The Finance Minister reports that our economy is in good shape amidst a troubled world, amidst wars everywhere, we are doing quite well,” he said.

According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture as of November 2025, there are 796,621 sugarcane farmers managing 520,823 hectares of harvestable land. In addition to the Air Force’s involvement, the Indonesian Navy is assisting with 2,432 hectares of soybean fields, while the Army will support 6.26 million hectares of rice fields from January to June 2026.

On the occasion, the Head of State also expressed appreciation for the role of the TNI and the National Police in Indonesia’s efforts to achieve food sovereignty, highlighting the founding fathers’ message for the nation to stand on its own feet. “We do not want to be a complacent nation. We will prove to the world that the Indonesian nation is rising with its own strength,” Prabowo said.