President Prabowo Reaffirms Commitment to Achieve National Food Self-Sufficiency

Redaksi    Jumat, Oktober 10, 2025    Comment   

President Prabowo Reaffirms Commitment to Achieve National Food Self-Sufficiency

President Prabowo Reaffirms Commitment to Achieve National Food Self-Sufficiency.

President Prabowo Subianto reaffirmed the government’s commitment to achieving national food self-sufficiency, particularly in rice production. The statement was delivered during a limited cabinet meeting with several members of the Red and White Cabinet at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, on Thursday, October 9, 2025.

During the meeting, President Prabowo emphasized the importance of food independence as a cornerstone of national resilience. The government continues to ensure that domestic rice production is sufficient to meet national demand without relying on imports.

Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman expressed confidence that the target of food self-sufficiency will soon be achieved. He believes Indonesia will no longer need to import rice in the near future.

“Alhamdulillah, hopefully there will be no major obstacles. In about two to three months, God willing, Indonesia will no longer import rice, as long as we don’t experience extreme weather,” Amran told reporters after the meeting.

According to Amran, this optimism is backed by impressive growth in national rice production. Based on data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS), rice production reached 33.1 million tons as of November 2025 and is projected to rise to 34 million tons by the end of the year. This figure represents an increase of around 4 million tons compared to the previous year.

“This is remarkable. According to the FAO, our production growth ranks second in the world, just behind Brazil. This is a great achievement,” Amran added.

Aside from focusing on production, President Prabowo also highlighted the importance of improving farmers’ welfare. The government has recorded positive progress in agricultural welfare indicators.

Amran reported that the Farmers’ Exchange Rate (NTP) has now reached 124.36, surpassing the government’s target of 110. Meanwhile, rice prices recorded a deflation of 0.13 percent in September 2025—the first in the past five years.

This positive performance serves as a strong foundation for the government to continue strengthening the agricultural sector. After achieving significant progress in rice production, the next step is to replicate similar success across other key commodities.

“This is our big dream in the agricultural sector. Once food production is secured—God willing, this year is stable—we will move on to plantations and horticulture, and later to livestock. We will tackle them one by one,” Amran explained.

With these achievements, the government is optimistic that Indonesia will achieve full food self-sufficiency. These efforts are not only aimed at ensuring national food security but also at improving the welfare of farmers across the country.

Indonesia Faces Chicken Supply Shortage Amid Free Nutritious Meal Program

Redaksi    Kamis, Oktober 09, 2025    Comment   

Indonesia Faces Chicken Supply Shortage Amid Free Nutritious Meal Program

Indonesia Faces Chicken Supply Shortage Amid Free Nutritious Meal Program.

The Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Dadan Hindayana, revealed that Indonesia could soon face a shortage of chicken supplies as the government’s Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program continues to expand. The program aims to improve public nutrition, especially for school children across the country.

According to Dadan, each Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG), or MBG kitchen, serves around 3,000 beneficiaries every day. Based on calculations, this requires about 350 chickens per day to meet the daily menu needs. If chicken-based meals are served twice a week, each SPPG will need around 700 chickens.

“In one month, each SPPG will need about 2,800 chickens,” Dadan explained. He added that as the MBG program continues to grow nationwide, chicken production must increase as well to ensure a stable supply and prevent shortages in the market.

Dadan emphasized the importance of collaboration between the government, poultry farmers, and food industry players to anticipate the surge in chicken demand. He suggested increasing the number of poultry farmers and improving feed and distribution facilities to maintain supply without pushing up consumer prices.

In addition to supply issues, BGN is also tightening food safety supervision after a recent food poisoning incident related to the MBG program.

The MBG kitchen in Kota Soe 1, located in the Kota Baru District of Timor Tengah Selatan Regency, has been temporarily suspended after 384 students suffered nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and shortness of breath on October 3, 2025. The symptoms appeared after they ate the MBG meal of shredded chicken soup.

A joint investigation by BGN and the local health office is underway to determine the cause of the incident. Preliminary findings suggest that the issue may have stemmed from improper food storage or handling during meal preparation.

Dadan stated that this case serves as an important lesson to strengthen food safety standards in the implementation of MBG nationwide. He assured that BGN will enhance supervision and provide additional training for kitchen staff to prevent similar incidents in the future.

“The goal of this program is to provide nutritious and safe meals for our children, not to create new health problems,” he said.

The Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program is one of the government’s priority initiatives designed to combat stunting and malnutrition among students. With balanced and healthy meal options, the government hopes to ensure children grow up strong, intelligent, and productive.

However, the main challenge now lies in maintaining a consistent and sufficient food supply. The government must ensure that the supply chain—from poultry farms to MBG kitchens—runs efficiently to avoid economic side effects, such as rising chicken prices in traditional markets.

Food experts also recommend that the government diversify protein sources by including fish, eggs, and tempeh to reduce dependency on chicken. This approach would help sustain the MBG program and prevent nationwide chicken shortages.