Indonesia’s Sweet Ambition: Targeting Sugar Self-Sufficiency by 2027

The government is stepping up efforts to achieve national sugar self-sufficiency, with Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka reaffirming the administration’s commitment to support farmers and strengthen the sugar industry from upstream to downstream.

Speaking during a joint working visit with Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman to Jolondoro Sugarcane Plantation in Banyuwangi, East Java, on June 23, 2025, Gibran said achieving sugar self-sufficiency by 2027 is a top priority under President Prabowo Subianto’s administration.

“We are targeting sugar self-sufficiency by 2027 at the latest. We will pursue this goal, and God willing, the results will be as successful as with rice. The government is serious about helping farmers profit,” Gibran said in a dialogue session with sugarcane farmers.

He added that President Prabowo is placing significant focus on the sugar sector, from pricing and mechanization to boosting production.

“The sugar issue is now a major task for the agriculture minister. This requires strong leadership to resolve key challenges, and the President is fully backing these efforts,” Gibran, the eldest son of former President Joko Widodo, said.

To meet the ambitious goal, Gibran urged collaboration among all stakeholders, including local governments, state-owned enterprise directors, and deputy ministers. He called for accelerated efforts within the next two years to reach the sugar self-sufficiency target.

“We must ensure everything is on track within the next two years. Once again, we need the full support and hard work of all stakeholders to achieve food self-sufficiency,” he added.

According to preliminary estimates for 2025, Indonesia is expected to produce 2.901 million tons of sugar from 538,168 hectares of planted area. With a five-year average realization rate of 95 percent, actual output this year is projected to reach 2.75 million tons, marking the highest production in the past five years.

To achieve its self-sufficiency goals, the government has outlined four key strategies:

    – Intensifying replanting on 275,000 hectares of ratoon cane

    – Expanding 500,000 hectares of new sugarcane plantations

    – Building and reactivating 10 sugar mills

    – Using high-quality seeds and targeted fertilizer application