VINANSIA.COM - Indonesia's National Food Agency (Bapanas) has set an ambitious goal to increase national rice production to 35 million tons by 2025. This target comes in the wake of a significant budget boost approved by the House of Representatives’ Budget Committee, which raised the Ministry of Agriculture's budget to IDR 29.37 trillion for the upcoming year.
Bapanas Chief Arief Prasetyo Adi expressed confidence in reaching this target, noting that the budget increase from IDR 7.9 trillion provides a strong foundation for achieving the production goal. “With this enhanced funding, we are optimistic that we can meet the 35 million tons target and underscore the importance of domestic production for ensuring food security,” Arief said in a press release on September 13, 2024.
Arief highlighted the need for accelerated domestic food production and emphasized the role of state-owned enterprises in managing the increased output. He also stressed the importance of having the necessary post-harvest technology in place.
Bapanas has instructed Perum Bulog to prepare rice dryers to maintain a balance between production and processing. Additionally, the agency is working to connect domestic production with the National Nutrition Agency to prevent stock disposals and to implement anti-inflation measures such as food aid and the SPHP program.
The additional IDR 21.49 trillion in the Ministry of Agriculture’s budget will support various programs, including IDR 15 trillion for creating 150,000 hectares of new rice fields and 80,000 hectares of intensified land use.
The remaining IDR 6.4 trillion will fund non-quick win programs aimed at boosting production of rice, corn, meat, and milk, aligning with the government’s forthcoming free nutritious food program.