Gov’t Increases Subsidized Fertilizer to 9.55 Million Tons in 2024

Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman accompanied by Head of the National Food Agency Arief Prasetyo Adi delivers press statement at the Presidential Palace compound, Jakarta, Monday (02/26). (Photo by: PR of Cabinet Secretariat/Rahmat)

The Government has decided to increase subsidized fertilizer from 4.7 million tons to 9.55 million tons for the 2024 budget allocation.

Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman said that the increase will ease the burden of farmers by securing fertilizer supply for them. Thus, they can focus on increasing productivity to achieve food self-sufficiency.

He added that the stock of rice will increase in upcoming months as we are entering harvest season.

“We planted rice in more than one million hectares of land in December, January, and February. The yield is expected to exceed 3.5 million of tons in March, and exceed the people’s demand in April and May,” he said in a press statement at the Presidential Palace compound, Jakarta, Monday (02/26).

Amran underscored that the Ministry will continue to make endeavor to reduce the impact of El Nino on the agricultural sector.

“We accelerate planting by pumping water from rivers in the island of Java, such as Bengawan Solo River, Cimanuk River and so on. We pumped water from these rivers and channel it to irrigate paddy fields, rainfed paddy fields. That is the strategy to mitigate the risk of El Nino. The other one is optimizing swamp land [for farming] by enhancing IP (cropping index) from once to twice or thrice [a year],” he explained. (KS/UN) (RAS/MMB)