TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan has assured that the national food stock remains secure despite extreme weather conditions. He emphasized that food availability will be sufficient to meet public demand, including during the upcoming Christmas and New Year (Nataru) holiday season, as projected production is expected to surpass last year's figures.

“This year, we anticipate [production levels] to be better than last year [across all sectors], including fisheries, agriculture, and salt production,” Zulhas stated during a meeting in the Kuningan area of South Jakarta on Tuesday, December 10, 2024.

He outlined the government's goal of achieving zero imports for food commodities starting next year. This initiative encompasses consumer rice, consumer sugar, consumer salt, and corn for livestock feed in order to achieve food self-sufficiency by 2027.

He expressed optimism regarding the nation's rice supply, stating that domestic rice stocks are projected to remain adequate until the end of next year. Currently, the total rice stock distributed within the community exceeds 8 million tons, with 2 million tons stored in the state-owned Bulog warehouses. The remaining stock is distributed among retailers and wholesalers.

Regarding salt, Zulhas noted that the government currently maintains a salt stock exceeding 800,000 tons, surpassing the estimated consumption requirement of 500,000 to 600,000 tons. This surplus has prompted the government to cease imports of consumer salt.

“We can confidently say, for example, that we will not import rice next year as production is projected to reach 32 million tons. Similarly, we will not import consumer salt next year, as we have an ample stock of 883,000 tons,” he stated.

Regarding sugar, Zulhas reported that this year's production reached 2.4 million tons, an increase of 200,000 tons compared to the previous year. He anticipates that production will further increase to 2.6 million tons next year. The government plans to enhance sugar production through initiatives such as seed development, plantation management renewal, and strengthened cooperation with micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

“We will not import consumer sugar next year as we have a stock of 1.4 million tons and anticipate a production of 2.6 million tons, so it is already safe,” he added.

For livestock feed, the National Mandate Party (PAN) politician has set a target for national corn production to reach 16.7 million tons in 2025. This surpasses the domestic demand of 13 million tons, indicating the potential for corn exports from Indonesia.

In conclusion, Coordinating Minister Zulhas emphasized that food supplies remain secure during the Nataru period, despite the challenges posed by extreme weather conditions. “Nataru supplies are secure, with ample rice, salt, chicken meat, eggs, and sugar,” he concluded.

Han Revanda contributed to this article

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