Minister Unveils Three Strategies to Counter Global Food Crisis Threat

Jakarta, VIVA – Indonesian Agriculture Minister, Andi Amran Sulaiman unveiled the plans for expanding rice planting areas (PAT) in the country, as a precaution against the threat of a global food crisis.

The minister stated that the current global food situation is far from stable, with increasingly complex challenges in providing food for the population.

"As stated in the BMKG’s warning regarding drought conditions during the 2024 dry season, coupled with the ongoing dynamic geopolitical pressures in the Middle East," the minister said during a working meeting with Commission IV of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) on Monday (Aug 26).

Minister Sulaiman added that currently, 58 countries are experiencing hunger, and 725 million people worldwide are suffering from malnutrition. Additionally, 7-16 percent of Indonesia’s population remains vulnerable to hunger.

"This situation serves as a warning for our national food security. Because food security has direct implications for the security of the nation," he said.

Moreover, the minister highlighted that data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) showed that the area of rice cultivation during the October to June 2024 planting season was 8.61 million hectares.

He acknowledged that this represents a decrease of 4.2 million hectares, or 32.8 percent, compared to the average for the same period from 2015-2019, which was 12.82 million hectares.

"This decline in planting area naturally affects the harvest area, leading to a decrease in rice production," he continued.

To ensure rice production continues into 2025, the Ministry of Agriculture, it's currently increasing production through the expansion of planting areas, irrigation of rice fields, rainfed systems, swamp optimization, and intercropping rice with unproductive oil palm.

"Through these three strategies, it is hoped that production can be increased so that domestically produced food will improve and dependence on rice imports can be reduced," minister Sulaiman concluded.