Remarks of President of the Republic of Indonesia at the 17th National Farmers and Fishermen Week (PENAS) 2026 at the Limboto Sport Center, Limboto Subdistrict, Gorontalo Regency, Gorontalo Province, June 24, 2026
Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.
Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,
Good afternoon,
May peace be upon be us all,
Shalom,
Salve,
Om swastiastu,
Namo Buddhaya,
Greetings of virtue.
Distinguished and respected Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman;
Chairman of the 17th PENAS Organizing Committee-cum-Chairman of National Farmers and Fishermen Association (KTNA) Yadi Sofyan Noor;
Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan;
General Chairperson of the Indonesian Farmers Association (HKTI) Sudaryono who also serves as the Vice Minister of Agriculture;
The host of this region, Governor of Gorontalo Gusnar Ismail along with all the Governors, Regents, and Mayors in attendance;
The attending Governors and Vice Governors: Governor of South Sulawesi Andi Sudirman Sulaiman; Governor of North Sulawesi Retired Major General of the Indonesian National Defense Forces Yulius Selvanus; Governor of Maluku Hendrik Lewerissa; Governor of North Maluku Sherly Tjoanda; Vice Governor of Gorontalo Idah Syahidah; Vice Governor of North Sulawesi Victor Mailangkay; Vice Governor of Southeast Sulawesi Hugua.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
[Let me present] the Ministers and Cabinet-Level Officials present today. [You could also] consider this as a roll call:
Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Sakti Wahyu Trenggono; Minister of Home Affairs Retired Police General Tito Karnavian; Minister of Foreign Affairs Sugiono; Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi; Minister of Public Works Dody Hanggodo—he is the one in charge of irrigations and building them; Minister of Transmigration Iftitah Suryanagara; Minister of Transportation Dudy Purwagandhi; Commander of the Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI) General Agus Subiyanto; Chief of the Indonesian National Police (Polri) General Listyo Sigit Prabowo; Army Chief of Staff (KSAD) General Maruli Simanjuntak; Navy Chief of Staff (KSAL) Admiral Muhammad Ali; Air Force Chief of Staff (KSAU) Marshal M. Tonny Harjono; Head of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) Prof. Arief Satria; Head of the Statistics Indonesia (BPS) Agency Amalia Widyasanti; Head of the Indonesian Quarantine Agency (Barantin) Abdul Kadir Karding; Vice Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Retired Admiral Didit Ashaf Herdiawan; Vice Minister of Forestry Rohmat Marzuki; Cabinet Secretary Lieutenant Colonel Teddy Indra Wijaya;
The attending Mayors and Regents: Mayor of Subulussalam Rasyid Bancin, are you here? Mayor of Tarakan Khairul; Deputy Mayor of Makassar Aliyah Mustika Ilham; Deputy Mayor of Kotamobagu Rendy Virgiawan M.; Deputy Mayor of Tual Amir Rumra, and all Regents and Deputy Regents joining us today virtually, whom I highly respect but I cannot mention you all one by one, please accept my utmost respect.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
First, as people of faith, let us never cease to offer our praise and gratitude to the presence of Almighty and Greatest God—for the Muslim community, Allah subhanhu wa ta’aala, who owns all the worlds. To Him alone we pray, and from Him alone we seek help. We are grateful for all the blessings, health, and breath that He has bestowed upon us, so we could gather here this afternoon, in this wonderful place.
I would like to express my gratitude for the great honor given to me. I was invited so that I could be here among all of you at this highly noble and crucial event: the 17th National Farmers and Fishermen Week (PENAS) 2026. Even though this is my first time attending this event as the President of the Republic of Indonesia, I have attended PENAS several times because I served as the General Chairman of Indonesian Farmers Association (HKTI) for a long time and put tireless efforts along with KTNA, for the interests of farmers and fishermen across Indonesia.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Beyond being an honor, this also serves as personal pride for me because I have spent decades fighting alongside farmers and fishermen across Indonesia. People often ask, ‘Why is Prabowo Subianto always with farmers and fishermen?’ Let me explain. It is very simple. It is because I am a former soldier, a veteran of TNI personnel. And since the establishment of the TNI, our soldiers have always been supported and assisted by farmers and fishermen.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
When we declared and proclaimed our independence, there were no state apparatus, budget, state budget (APBN), nor salaries. Those who chose the Republic of Indonesia did so out of their hearts, out of love for the Indonesian nation, instead of paycheck. Back then, our soldiers were supported, sustained, and fed by our farmers and fishermen all over Indonesia. The TNI, all Indonesian forces, and the freedom fighters, including the police forces, were backed by the people; backed by farmers and fishermen.
As the Minister of Agriculture mentioned earlier, if we do math, what is the number again? One hundred and sixty million farmers and their families, plus 14 million fishermen. Let me double-check with the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries. Minister, how many millions of fishermen? Correct. So, if that is the case, 160 million plus 14 million, the 14 million probably include their families. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the Indonesian nation. Add to that, our workers, online motorcycle taxi drivers, and so on; that is the true populace of Indonesia.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
That is why this is a source of pride for me. When I was a young soldier out in the villages and mountains, I got help from the farmers. Their lives were hard. To cook, they had to gather firewood and walk for miles. To fetch water was difficult; they had to walk again for miles. However, they kept cooking for the TNI soldiers. It shows how great their love for the state and the Indonesian nation is. Therefore, Ladies and Gentlemen, I believe every soldier and every general must always remember, deep in their hearts, the vital role Indonesia’s farmers and fishermen have played.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Farmers and fishermen are the producers of our food. No nation can stand, no country can survive, and indeed no civilization can survive without food.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
That is why, upon my retirement while I was still relatively young—well, I believe I am still young today, at least in terms of spirit. So, for those of you who are young, do not smile too soon; when it comes to [life span], we must be ready at any moment. Whenever Almighty God call us, we must be ready. What matters the most is whether we have done our best for our nation, our people, and our brothers and sisters.
I believe that is what truly matters. But I want to tell you something here: I have been in politics for decades. I ran in general elections five times. I lost four times. Go ahead and laugh, everyone. Losing does not feel good, you know. I lost four times, and won the last one, Ladies and Gentlemen. Why did I keep going? Why did I persist? Because at that time, I saw something wrong with our economic development. In my opinion, the direction of our economic development was on the wrong track. Back then, the prevailing ideology was neoliberalism. Neoliberalism said that the Government should not assist the poor. It says the weak are weak because they cannot compete. Priority was given only to the strong, to those who are deemed capable of competing.
At that time, I was the General Chairman of HKTI. I met the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Aburizal Bakrie back then. The Government was planning to import rice. As the General Chairman of HKTI, I met him and asked him not to import the rice, especially when our farmers are about to harvest the [yields]. It would crush the prices for the farmers. Our farmers would make no profit and fail to recover the costs.
Back then, many smart experts, who still think they are smart today, said, “Why should we defend Indonesian farmers, if they are inefficient?” And these were his exact words. [Please note that was not] Mr. Aburizal Bakrie’s words but one of his advisors. If Vietnamese farmers are more efficient, it is better for us to buy rice from Vietnam. That was the standpoint of those “smart” people, Ladies and Gentlemen. I was shocked, speechless and sad. I said to myself, this is entirely wrong. This shows a complete lack of what a state means, what nationhood means, and why we fought for independence [in the first place].
We fought for hundreds of years to establish an independent state so that our people could prosper—so that farmers, fishermen, workers, and all Indonesian citizens could thrive. So, they could live well. So, their children could receive a proper education. So, they could have decent housing. So that when they fall sick, they could go to hospitals, clinics, or community health centers (Puskesmas) and get affordable medicine. That is the purpose of our independence. We did not gain independence just for the sake of being independent. Ladies and Gentlemen, what is the point of establishing a House of Representatives (DPR), a House of Regional Representatives (DPD), or singing the national anthem if our people are not prosperous?
That is why I am determined, fight, and remain in politics. If I lose, I step up again, [again, and again]. Because I saw that there had been no major effort from the Indonesian elite to empower our people from the grassroots. Ladies and Gentlemen, that is why I [run the election] and alhamdulillah [got elected]. I am convinced that HKTI and KTNA were the keys to my victory.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In about a year and eight months up to now, we have achieved lot. The greatest achievement, and I am grateful for it, is that we have attained food self-sufficiency. We produce rice, corn, and almost all food commodities. [In fact,] our rice and corn production is currently an all-time high since the founding of this nation. And this is the result of your hard work. This is the achievement of a team currently driving Indonesian agriculture.
For this reason, I would like to express my highest appreciation and profound respect before the entire extended family of Andalan farmers and fishermen, as well as the agricultural organizations present here, to the teams led by the figures behind me: the Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs, Minister of Agriculture Amran Sulaiman, Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, and their vice ministers, among others, Vice Minister of Agriculture Sudaryono, Vice Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Admiral Didit. But this effort has also been immensely assisted by other ministers as well as the TNI Commander, the Polri Chief, and the [Military] Chiefs of Staff.
Only in Indonesia, will you see the police manage the agriculture. Perhaps, you only will find the soldiers frequently working in paddy fields. Only in Indonesia, the Navy personnel plant the soybeans. Only in Indonesia, the Air Force personnel plant the sugarcane. But this is our strategic [measure]. Ladies and Gentlemen, [I believe] Indonesia will rise significantly [through this collaboration]. We will rise to become a great nation. There will always be those who do not want us to rise. Yes, there are. We already know who they are, right? Since there are many journalists here, I must manage my speech. Otherwise, they will only quote the parts that sound a bit aggressive. But when speaking to farmers and fishermen, one must speak with vigor. Am I right? If I speak too softly, you won’t hear me. Correct? Yes.
In this day and age, it is better to speak plain truth. You would rather know what is truly in my heart, right? [It is better] than all this smooth talk and polite acts while they keep stealing and committing corruption. They show off and pretend to be rich, but that very money was stolen from our people. As Indonesian, I know because I have long observed that. Ladies and Gentlemen, they dislike me because I could see right through their masks.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Please be careful. I am warning them because I know … I know exactly who pays for the protests [before]. When you ask the young protesters, they do not even understand what they are protesting about. “We were just paid 200,000 Rupiah.” This happens. [However], I still could not understand [why they need to do that].
Ladies and Gentlemen,
When we go to see a match, we act as supporters, right? We back our favorite team and shout, “Go, go, go!” there. Our country is currently competing against many nations. [Therefore, our nation] must stand united. If there is something lacking, for example, a teammate lacking while playing, I understand that the game isn’t good. But we still need to support them. Once the match is over, we can do match and tactical analysis. [But] do not boo them while they are carrying the ball in the middle of the field. Barracking your own team makes it look like we take no pride in what our nation had. [Please note that] achieving food self-sufficiency is no small feat. In Indonesian history, we have only achieved food self-sufficiency once. If I am not mistaken, it happened in 1984 and lasted for only a year. But this time, we are confident that our food self-sufficiency will not be like that. We will continue to achieve food self-sufficiency from now on.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
As I mentioned earlier, I would like to extend my gratitude to the officials, Governor, and all regents who have supported all of this. Ladies and Gentlemen, my gratitude is not just sweet talk for this event; I genuinely respect them. They are the ones who made Indonesia food self-sufficient.
In soccer-related terms, who am I? I am the manager, right? I am the manager who gives instructions from the bench. At field, we have a team captain and coach, right? These officials are coaches and some of them are strikers. Yes, I give directives. But if they do not fight, if you do not fight, we would not achieve food self-sufficiency. So, this is our collective achievement. This is the success of all these ministers. If the Minister of Public Works were a thief or a corruptor, there would be no irrigation, no village roads would be paved. Ladies and Gentlemen, I look at the faces here. These are not the faces of corruptors. I am old enough to recognize the corruptors through their eyes. Usually, they are smart. They are so smart that they can defalcate the funds.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We are working hard and our task is heavy. We do not want to dwell on the past nor play the blame game. However, we must have the courage to acknowledge our own shortcomings. We must have the courage to fix our flaws. We must never blind ourselves to our own weaknesses and mistakes. Ladies and Gentlemen, much of our wealth has been plundered and stolen, but we are going to put an end to this. I am determined, along with my team, to stop the theft of Indonesia’s wealth.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
These efforts may not yield immediate results. I always say that the President of the Republic of Indonesia does not hold a magic wand; I do not possess the rod of Moses or Sulaiman. When our fellow farmers plant rice, it takes three months to see the harvest. When our fellow farmers plant oil palm, it takes five years. When our fellow farmers plant cassava, it takes ten months. So, our efforts do not [yield] immediate results, but they are starting to show [significant progress]. Our tangible [progress] right before the eyes is food self-sufficiency.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have mentioned this before and I repeated it a moment ago; years ago, many brilliant economic professors argued on things that I genuinely failed to understand their logic. “Why do we protect Indonesian farmers if Vietnamese farmers are more efficient and productive?” I believe that is a misconception. And I stand firmly against that view, and history has now proven that my stance was correct. Ladies and Gentlemen, imagine a [big] crisis happened and being in it. [For example], during COVID-19 pandemic, we wanted to import. However, the rice-importing countries halted their rice shipment [to us]. Imagine if a war [suddenly] broke out; what would happen then?
Yes, thank you [for cheering me on!]. Please hold on for a moment. I need … I need to finish my remarks Those who screamed were children, right? Okay. There are also people who oppose the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) Program. Those who oppose the MBG program should come here, shouldn’t they? [They need to] ask the farmers and fishermen if the MBG program is necessary or not? Ask the children if it is necessary or not? Some self-proclaimed intellectuals claim there are things more urgent than an empty stomach. But I believe nothing is more urgent than hunger. If an empty stomach is not fed immediately, a person dies. The United Nations (UN) has predicted that global hunger will be massive this year.
Two years ago, around 300 million people worldwide suffered from starvation. It is estimated to have risen now to 500 or 700 million people; the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has issued [urgent] warnings.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Alhamdulillah, we have now started exporting [several commodities] and assisting other countries. I received a phone call from the Prime Minister of Australia who expressed his gratitude that Indonesia has a surplus fertilizer. He [also] asked if we could sell it to them. I said, ‘Yes, sell it and ship it to them.’ Many countries are also asking for fertilizer from us. I also noted that other nations are requesting rice and corn from us. Of course, we welcome them if we can settle on the right prices. Isn’t that right, Minister of Agriculture? Our farmers must not suffer losses. Correct? What are the farmers’ current situation? Are they making enough profit? Have you all made profit? You are already doing well, but you want to push for more? Of course, [that is human nature].
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am telling you that food self-sufficiency made us confident [facing the current situation]. As you know, conflicts break out everywhere and there is closure of the Strait of Hormuz, but we remain confident. Ladies and Gentlemen, we will be able to overcome it.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Furthermore, we are moving towards self-sufficiency in fuel and energy sector. This July, in just a matter of days, we will launch [B50 diesel that is made up of] 50 percent palm oil. Ladies and Gentlemen, consequently, we will no longer import diesel from abroad and we will save a significant amount [of our state budget]. I estimate that in the next three or four years at the most, we will achieve energy self-sufficiency. Ladies and Gentlemen, we do not want to import a single drop of fuel or our energy [for our needs in the future].
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I think those are the points I wanted to convey. Thank you to the entire farming and fishing community of Indonesia. Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for your hard work. The journey ahead is still long, but you have proven your unwavering spirit. As food producers, you are truly the backbone of our nation. Therefore, the Government, that I lead, is also working tirelessly. There are no days off for us. We continue to work around the clock, finding the best way to safeguard the people’s money, so it is not stolen or taken by other nations. So that we can be masters in our own country.
To fellow farmers, fishermen, workers, alongside the religious scholars, Islamic boarding school students (santri), the TNI personnel, the Polri personnel, and all civil servants, I also would like to thank you for your loyalty and support. If we stand united, Indonesia will not falter; Indonesia will not fail. To those who wish to see Indonesia fail, we will give them surprise. Let them be astonished by what Indonesia will achieve later. We will become a great and prosperous nation.
Thank you.
Wassalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.
Thank you. May Allah subhanhu wa ta’aala, the Almighty and Greatest God, always protect our farmers and fishermen, wherever you are fighting. Thank you and I ask for your prayers and blessings [in leading this country]. Trust your leader; trust your Government. Ladies and Gentlemen, we have no other intention. We want to see all Indonesian smile. We want to see all Indonesian prosper. Ladies and Gentlemen, there is no other intention. Thank you. Until we meet again elsewhere. Thank you, KTNA.
Merdeka!
If I shout “Farmers!”, please answer back “Prosper!”
If I shout “Fishermen!”, reply to it with “Prosper!”
Deal?
“Farmers!”
“Fishermen!”
And If I shout “Indonesia!”, you answer “Rise!”
“Indonesia!”
“Indonesia!”
Thank you. Thank you, everyone.
(NST/MUR)