A Stark Contrast: Food โคBanks strain in the US as Indonesia Achieves Record Harvests
A growingโฃ food crisis is unfoldingโ in โคthe United States, with food โbanks across the nation reporting dwindling supplies and a surge โคin demand. This situation is exacerbated byโ the recent termination of the Supplemental Nutrition โคAssistance โขProgram (SNAP), the nation’s largest anti-hunger initiative providing vital food assistance to low-income households. Reports indicate storage shelves are emptying as donations from grocery stores decrease, a outcome of both inflation and evolving tariff policies impacting the trade sector.Individuals previouslyโ reliant onโข aid are now facing limited resources as existing stocks diminish.
The crisis โin developed nations โฃstands in sharp contrast to Indonesia’s current agricultural success. Data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) projects a record rice production of 34.77 million โขtonnes for January to December 2025 – โa 13.54% increase (4.15 million tonnes)โ comparedโ to the same period โin 2024, marking โคthe highest production in a decade.โข Furthermore, riceโค reservesโ held by Bulog, the Indonesian logistics agency, have reached an โunprecedented 4.2 millionโ tonnes โคas of June.
Positive trends extend beyond rice. National corn production is also projected to rise, with an estimated 16.55 million tonnesโค of dry shelled corn (14% moisture content) anticipated for january to December 2025. Thisโฃ represents a 9.34% increase โข(1.41 million tonnes) over the previous year.
Indonesianโข Minister ofโ Agriculture, Andiโค Amran Sulaiman,โ attributes this success to collaborative efforts between farmers, agricultural extension workers, and โall levels of the agricultural sector, operating under unified direction. “Indonesia is not only food secure, but โalso has a surplus,” stated Amran. “This is the result of the mutual cooperationโค of โfarmers and โthe โhard work of all parties who ensure โฃthat productionโฃ continues to โincrease.”
He highlighted key programs – accelerated simultaneous planting, provision of agricultural tools โคand machinery (Alsintan), and strengthening superior seed varieties โข- as crucial foundationsโค for maintaining productivity despiteโข global climate challenges.
This situation underscores the importance of agricultural independence and farmer support in achieving โฃtrue food security, rather than relying solely on economic strength. While many nations grapple with food shortages, Indonesia is demonstrating resilience with โabundantโข reserves and controlled food inflation.
Amran concluded, “We must โbe grateful, as at a โคtime โwhen the world was anxious about food, Indonesia โคactually succeeded. โThanks to Presidentโฃ Prabowo’s ideas, now our food production has increased,โ even had a surplus, then the welfareโฃ of farmers hasโ increased and moast importantly the Indonesian peopelโ have enough โคfood and we can even supply it to โคother countries.”
(akd/ega)
