Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — Deputy Agriculture Minister Sudaryono states that Indonesia’s decision to stop rice imports is playing a significant role in driving down global rice prices.
Speaking during a visit to Karawang, West Java, on Thursday (May 15), Sudaryono said the decline in international rice prices is partly due to Indonesia, one of the world’s largest rice importers stepping back from the global market.
“The global rice price trend is declining because one of the largest buyers, Indonesia, is no longer importing,” he said, as reported by Antara.
Indonesia’s absence from the international rice market has contributed to a global oversupply, pushing prices lower. “When we stop importing, the world faces a rice oversupply, and that leads to falling prices,” he explained.
Despite the global decline, Sudaryono emphasized that domestic rice prices remain stable, as Indonesia relies on local production to meet national demand.
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Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman also confirmed the declining trend in global rice prices. He noted that international rice prices have dropped from around $460 per ton when Indonesia was still actively imports rice, to approximately $390 per ton.
Amran credited the country’s farmers for helping lower global prices by boosting domestic production and reducing reliance on imports.
Indonesia has significantly increased its rice reserves in early 2025, bucking a regional trend that has seen declining output across ASEAN nations, including Thailand and Malaysia.
Amran reported that Indonesia’s rice stockpile has reached 3.7 million tons and is expected to surpass 4 million tons in the near future.
He hailed the achievement as a milestone in the country’s food security efforts. Amran expressed hope that it would serve as a catalyst for continued support for farmers and the strengthening of national food resilience, ultimately contributing to the well-being of the Indonesian people.
With abundant stockpiles and falling global rice prices, Indonesia is emerging as a key player in stabilizing rice prices, particularly across the ASEAN region.
(Raidi/Agung)
