Deputy Minister of Agriculture Sudaryono reaffirmed that agricultural downstreaming is a key strategy of President Prabowo Subianto to restore Indonesia’s plantation and livestock commodities to a leading position in global trade. He explained that the President wants Indonesian commodities — including those from plantations and animal husbandry — to hold top positions in world markets. The government is targeting exports of high-value processed products rather than raw materials for commodities such as coconut, coffee, cocoa, and palm oil. Currently, Indonesia is developing downstream activities for 11 strategic commodities, including copra, cocoa, coffee, nutmeg, pepper, and gambier, tapping into the country’s comparative advantages such as fertile tropical land, abundant sunlight, and rich natural resources. Sudaryono stressed that agriculture should not be viewed as an old-fashioned sector; instead, it is competitive, able to absorb large workforces, and has a strategic role in national economic development.
He added that the President wants all of Indonesia’s leading commodities to become number one in the world by improving productivity and quality and strengthening the domestic processing industry. The government has prepared a phased agricultural development plan over the next five years to ensure measurable and sustainable achievements in self-sufficiency and exports. With strategies of downstreaming and sustainable self-sufficiency, Indonesia is optimistic about making agriculture a main engine of national economic growth and a source of pride on the global stage.
