Zulhas Asserts National Food Surplus Amid Global Protectionism

Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan has confirmed that the national food stock condition is currently secure and in surplus amidst the global trend of protectionism. Speaking at the VIII Indonesian Muslim Congress in Jakarta on Saturday, Zulhas stressed that achieving food self-sufficiency is a manifestation of national honour as well as a form of real support for farmers. The Coordinating Minister highlighted the current geopolitical dynamics that have prompted many countries to close their export taps to secure domestic supplies. Facing this situation, he assessed that Indonesia can no longer rely solely on the free market concept which glorifies the freedom to buy without regard for sovereignty. Zulhas explained that the government’s anticipatory measures through production acceleration have yielded significant results. Indonesia has successfully halted its dependence on rice imports in 2025 by recording a surplus of up to 4.2 million tonnes, a stark contrast to 2024 when it still consumed 4.5 million tonnes of imported rice. Not only rice, he confirmed that other strategic commodities such as corn, sugar, eggs, chicken meat, and fisheries have also achieved supply independence. He stated that this success in reversing the situation is inseparable from the change in government policy direction, which now prioritises farmers through improvements in grain selling prices and easier access to fertilisers. ‘Therefore, we must be self-sufficient. Self-sufficiency is the honour of farmers, the honour of our families. Food sovereignty is not merely an economic issue, but a matter of national honour,’ he said. Zulhas criticised past policies that indulged imports, causing farmers to lose economic value, forcing them to sell their land, and reducing their status to farm labourers. Through this forum, he invited all Muslims to consider the fundamental issues faced by farmers and fishermen so that sovereignty can truly be realised at the grassroots level. Moving beyond food, the government is now targeting national energy sovereignty with raw materials sourced from agriculture (biofuel). ‘Now we are moving to energy. Diesel is already in progress, after this we will gradually introduce E10 for petrol. Ethanol can come from cassava, corn, or sugarcane. We must truly ensure food and energy security so that this nation stands on its own two feet,’ said Zulkifli Hasan.