Indonesia meets FAO benchmark for food self sufficiency: Minister

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman said Indonesia has attained food self-sufficiency, citing compliance with the maximum import threshold established by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

In a press statement on Thursday, the minister said the claim of self-sufficiency refers to the 1999 FAO standard, stating that a country is considered self-sufficient if its imports fall below a maximum limit of 10 percent.

Sulaiman conveyed there are 12 key food commodities requiring strict monitoring by relevant ministries and institutions to maintain national stability.

Of these 12 strategic food commodities, Indonesia has achieved self-sufficiency and even exports eight of them.

Currently, only three food commodities still require foreign supplies to meet national needs: garlic, beef, and soybeans.

The total shortfall for these three food commodities, which are not yet self-sufficient, amounts to approximately 3.5 million tons.

Meanwhile, domestic agricultural production has now reached a total output of 73 million tons.

"The need is 68 million tons, and our production is 73 million tons. If we divide 3.5 million tons by 73 million tons, that's 4-5 percent," he explained.

With an import dependency ratio of only 4 to 5 percent, Sulaiman said Indonesia, in aggregate, has exceeded the internationally established food self-sufficiency standard.

Indonesia's significant agricultural yield was also reflected in the May 2026 Rice Outlook report issued by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The USDA revised its global rice production forecast for the 2025-2026 period upward by 1.5 million tons, moving from 541.3 million tons in April to 542.8 million tons in May.

The report identified Indonesia as a primary driver of the global production increase, alongside Nigeria, Ivory Coast, and Vietnam. Among these nations, Indonesia remains the largest producer, with a total annual output exceeding 30 million tons.

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Translator: Aditya Ramadhan/Fathur Rochman, Resinta S

Editor: Azis Kurmala

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