Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — The Indonesian government has decided to maintain sugar imports in 2025 amid its commitment to stop importing key agricultural commodities in 2025, including sugar. The decisions was aimed to ensure sufficient food reserves, particularly in anticipation of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr.
Head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas) Arief Prasetyo Adi stated that the decision was made during a coordination meeting at the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs in Jakarta on Wednesday (February 12, 2025).
Arief explained that the import decision was aimed at bolstering the government’s food reserves, emphasizing that it was not due to insufficient domestic production but rather a precautionary measure to maintain stable stock levels.
Importing Raw Sugar
Arief stressed that the imported sugar would be in the form of raw sugar, which requires processing before becoming consumer-ready. This differs from the direct importation of white crystal sugar (GKP), which is immediately distributed in the market.
“The additional supply consists of raw sugar, which will be processed for government food reserves,” Arief explained as reported by Kumparan. “Government food reserves are necessary because, as reported by Statistics Indonesia (BPS), sugar prices have started to rise. The inflation contribution from sugar has reached 1.4 percent, based on recent statistical data.”
Citing BPS data, Arief noted that as of the first week of February 2025, the number of regions experiencing sugar price hikes had increased. In the third week of January, 118 regencies/cities reported price increases, a figure that rose to 153 by the fifth week of January 2025.
Additionally, sugar consumption in March 2025 is projected to rise due to increased demand during Ramadan. The estimated demand is expected to surge by 13.39 percent to 251,800 metric tons, compared to 222,000 metric tons in February.
Safeguarding Farmers’ Interests
Arief assured that the import policy would not disrupt the price of domestically grown sugarcane. The government aims to ensure that the sugarcane harvest, expected in April, remains unaffected by price fluctuations caused by imports.
“The key point is to protect farmers’ prices because they will begin harvesting in April, May, and June. Raw sugar becomes more cost-effective when processed during the harvest season. That’s the consideration. About 200,000 tons of raw sugar will be imported gradually this year to prevent any negative impact on farmers,” Arief emphasized, as reported by CNBC Indonesia.
Import Restrictions
In December 2024, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Zulkifli Hasan had stated that Indonesia would stop importing on four key agricultural commodities including rice, corn, sugar, and salt starting in 2025. This decision was also approved by President Prabowo Subianto during a closed-door meeting on food security at the Presidential Palace.
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However, as sugar demand rises ahead of Ramadan, authorities aim to stabilize prices while safeguarding farmers’ livelihoods through a carefully managed import strategy. The government remains committed to balancing food security with domestic agricultural interests, ensuring that sugar imports complement rather than undermine local production.
(Raidi/Agung)
