President Prabowo Promotes Modern Shrimp Farming to Boost Indonesian Exports
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto participated in a large-scale shrimp harvest in Kebumen, Central Java, on Sunday, signaling a strategic shift toward prioritizing high-revenue aquaculture projects to bolster the nation’s export capabilities. The harvest event highlighted the productivity of modern shrimp farming, which officials stated has reached an output value of Rp 2.8 billion per hectare.
The President’s visit emphasized a preference for economic initiatives that provide direct financial returns. During his time in Kebumen, the administration signaled that it would pivot away from certain administrative infrastructure projects, such as the construction of a proposed office complex, opting instead to focus state resources on sectors with immediate revenue-generating potential.
The Kebumen site serves as a model for the government’s broader objective of expanding modern, intensive shrimp farming. By leveraging advanced cultivation techniques, the administration aims to increase the volume and quality of shrimp produced for international markets. This shift is part of a larger directive to optimize the use of coastal regions for aquaculture, moving away from more traditional, less efficient practices.
The focus on the shrimp industry follows internal discussions regarding the prioritization of state spending. By pausing or delaying large-scale office projects, the government intends to reallocate capital toward industrial activities that directly contribute to export growth and regional economic development.
The administration has not yet detailed the full scope of the reallocation of funds from the deferred office projects, nor has it provided a comprehensive timeline for the expansion of these shrimp farming initiatives beyond the current pilot regions. The government maintains that the success of the Kebumen harvest will serve as the primary benchmark for assessing the viability of future investments in similar aquaculture ventures.