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Government will allocate $8.8 billion to food security in 2025 – Economy

Harry October 31, 2024

The government has allocated a record budget of Rp 139.4 trillion (US$8.8 billion) to support food programs in 2025, according to the senior food minister, underlining President Prabowo Subianto’s promise to achieve self-sufficiency in the production of basic staple foods in the next five years he drew. term of office.

The 2025 food security budget is 21.9 percent higher than last year.

“This food security budget is quite large and spread across various ministries. We need strong cooperation to achieve the 2028-2029 self-sufficiency target,” coordinating Food Minister Zulkifli Hasan told reporters behind closed doors at the Ministry of Commerce on Wednesday.

Also read: Prabowo promises food self-sufficiency in four years

The significant jump in the budget marks a departure from smaller annual increases in past years: the 2024 allocation is 114 trillion euros, up 12.9 percent from Rp 92.3 trillion in 2022, and 9.7 percent from Rp 104.2 trillion in 2023. It rose to Rp 3 trillion.

Meanwhile, the 2022 food budget recorded a contraction of 6.8 percent from Rp 99.1 trillion in 2021.

In his opening speech on October 20, Prabowo reiterated his commitment to achieving self-sufficiency in food and energy, saying it was “an imperative” for Southeast Asia’s largest economy to become a more prosperous nation. He also expressed confidence that Indonesia could become self-sufficient in food within four to five years and become a major food exporter.