Zulhas Claims Indonesia Has a Rice Surplus of 4.2 Million Tons, Assures No Imports from the US
Zulhas Claims Indonesia Has a Rice Surplus of 4.2 Million Tons, Assures No Imports from the US
- Yeni Lestari/VIVA
Jakarta, VIVA – Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs, Zulkifli Hasan, or Zulhas, assured that Indonesia will not import rice or chicken from the United States. He stated that the current national food production is in surplus.
“We will not import chicken or rice. Our rice production has a surplus of 4.2 million tons this year, in 2025. This year, I believe the production will be even higher,” said Zulhas to reporters at the Senayan Parliament Complex, Central Jakarta, Thursday, February 26, 2026.
Zulhas explained that this condition is the basis for the government to start exporting rice.
He said that Indonesia will export rice to Saudi Arabia for the first time, with a volume of 2,280 tons on February 28, 2026. Zulhas is optimistic that the surplus trend will continue in the following years.
“So for now, we have a surplus, not just for now, God willing, this year and in the future, we will have a surplus,” he said.
In addition to rice, Zulhas said that corn production has also increased. The government, he said, will build a large-scale national protein self-sufficiency program, covering the fish, chicken, and egg sectors.
“This year, we will build a large-scale national protein self-sufficiency program for fish, chicken, and eggs,” he said.
The General Chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN) added that Danantara has announced plans to build feed and DOC (day-old chick) factories to support national chicken production. These facilities will be spread across six regions, including Lampung and Malang, to strengthen the production chain from parent stock to chicks.
“The DOC will certainly come from GPS to parent stock, then DOC to be distributed throughout Indonesia, there are 6 regions, there is Lampung, there is Malang, I forgot the others, to produce protein on a large scale,” he said.
In the fisheries sector, the government also targets the construction of 2,000 fishing villages and the development of 20,000 hectares of ponds this year.
“So I keep going around to ensure that it continues to run well. Chicken, fish, and other proteins,” Zulhas concluded.