Jakarta. Chief Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan (Zulhas) has proposed a nearly 14-fold increase in the government’s budget to meet its food self-sufficiency target by 2027.

Initially set for 2029, the goal was advanced to 2028 and later accelerated to 2027. To achieve this, Zulhas has called for a budget of Rp 550 billion ($34.58 million) for 2025, up from the current Rp 40 billion.

"We need an additional Rp 505 billion to accelerate this program," Zulhas said during a working meeting with the Budget Committee of the House of Representatives in Jakarta on Monday.

Zulhas is confident that Indonesia could achieve food self-sufficiency by 2027, particularly in key staples like rice, corn, and sugar.

Said Abdullah, Chairman of the Budget Agency, supported Zulhas' proposal.

The government has announced plans to halt imports of salt for consumption and rice starting next year. To support this initiative, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani has temporarily frozen all infrastructure budgets for government construction projects, reallocating funds to support Prabowo’s food, water, and energy self-sufficiency targets.

Meanwhile, the Agriculture Ministry is working to identify new agricultural lands and expand the workforce, particularly by attracting millennial farmers. The ministry plans to offer modern farming technologies and a minimum monthly salary of Rp 10 million ($640), which is five times the average farmer's wage, to encourage young people to enter the agricultural sector.

In September, the House of Representatives approved the 2025 State Budget (APBN) of Rp 3,621 trillion, which will fund Prabowo's key initiatives in his first year of office. The government has also allocated Rp15 trillion for agricultural land intensification and rice field development to boost national food security.