Jakarta. New Zealand has expressed readiness to partner with Indonesia in supporting President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship initiatives: achieving national food self-sufficiency and providing free nutritious meals to schoolchildren across the country.

The commitment was made by Todd McClay, New Zealand’s Minister for Trade, Agriculture, Forestry, and Investment, during his official visit to Jakarta on Thursday.

“Indonesia has long been a key partner for New Zealand in economic and trade relations,” McClay said during a joint press conference with Indonesian Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman. “We are open to mutually beneficial cooperation, especially in sharing ideas and innovations in agriculture and food security to support President Prabowo’s vision.”

McClay praised Indonesia’s ambition to reduce dependency on agricultural imports and applauded the country’s recent surge in domestic food production, particularly rice, which is projected to exceed 35 million tons this year -- up from 30 million tons in 2024.

As of end-July 2025, Indonesia had already produced 21.7 million tons of rice, a 14 percent increase compared to the same period last year, according to government data. The government also plans to end corn imports by 2026 as part of its broader food independence agenda.

Indonesia Pushes for Balanced Trade Deal
During their bilateral meeting, Indonesia and New Zealand agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on agricultural and food technology cooperation. However, Minister Amran stressed that Indonesia expects the partnership to be part of a balanced trade framework.

“We want a win-win solution. Our collaboration with New Zealand must be balanced,” said Amran. “We aim to boost exports of key plantation commodities -- crude palm oil, rubber, cocoa, and especially coffee -- to New Zealand.”

McClay’s Jakarta visit also included meetings with Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, Coordinating Minister of Food Zulkifli Hasan, and Trade Minister Budi Santoso, as well as a forum with business leaders from both countries.

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