Jakarta: Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has announced that the nation aims to cease corn imports by 2026, with the goal of achieving self-sufficiency in corn production. He made this announcement during a simultaneous corn harvest event and the launch of Indonesia’s first corn exports to Malaysia in West Kalimantan.

According to Lao News Agency, President Prabowo highlighted that in 2024, Indonesia imported around 500,000 tonnes of corn. By early 2025, the country’s total dry corn output was estimated at 9.45 million tonnes, marking an increase of 0.94 million tonnes or an 11.08% rise compared to the same period the previous year.

The President also noted a significant climb in national corn production during the first quarter of 2025, from 4 tonnes per hectare to between 6-8 tonnes per hectare, representing a 48% improvement. To further enhance production, the National Police of Indonesia is backing the government’s One Million Hectare Corn Planting Programme, a large-scale corn cultivation initiative.

President Prabowo expressed optimism that Indonesia could achieve self-sufficiency in corn production sooner than expected, possibly within a year. This optimism is attributed to the use of high-quality seed varieties and organic fertilisers. He stressed the significance of innovation in processing agricultural harvests and diversifying corn-based products, such as corn chips and corn rice, which he mentioned have higher added value.

Furthermore, the President underscored the importance of ensuring that increased production benefits farmer welfare. He proposed providing farmers with machinery, technology, seeds, fertilisers, and bio fertilisers to support this goal.