Indonesia earmarks 1.1 mln ha plantation land for food self-reliance

 The government has earmarked 1.1 million hectares of potential land nationwide for coffee, nutmeg, and cocoa cultivation under the social forestry program, aimed at boosting welfare and advancing food self-sufficiency.

Speaking at a social forestry workshop in Jakarta on Thursday, Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said that his ministry is currently coordinating with the Ministry of Agriculture to advance cultivation plans for the land, aiming to make it productive.

He highlighted that a total of 8.3 million hectares nationwide have been earmarked for the forestry initiative, which he noted as part of efforts to empower local communities while also supporting environmental sustainability.

The Ministry of Forestry, he added, projects the additional 1.1 million hectares as strategic venues for developing plantation commodities under the agroforestry approach to balance people's welfare and continued protection for forests.

"Our goal is to empower people and boost their welfare while ensuring the sustainability of forests," Antoni stated.

However, the minister did not divulge details on the specific locations of the newly identified forestland plots.

Earlier, Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman revealed that the government had devised a national program to cultivate plantation crops on approximately 870,000 hectares across regions in 2026.

"The budget for this initiative has been set at Rp9.95 trillion (nearly US$600 million)," he remarked at the Presidential Palace Complex in Jakarta on January 28.

He explained that the program aims to downstream cocoa, coconut, coffee, avocados, and other strategic commodities to raise selling value, support sustainability, and strengthen food and energy security.

"This program is a directive from President Prabowo Subianto. This year we will grow plantation crops under the downstreaming agenda, partly aiming to reduce erosion risks," he elaborated.