Antara News·Indonesia·Tuesday, November 3, 2026 at 10:35 AM UTC

Indonesia targets 150,000 tons of soybeans to cut import reliance

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A. Nazaruddin, Tegar Nurfitra

Grobogan (ANTARA) - Indonesia's Ministry of Agriculture aims to help producing around 150,000 tons of soybeans through a government seed assistance program targeting 50,000 hectares of farmland, as part of efforts to reduce the country's reliance on imports.

Deputy Agriculture Minister Alim Setiawan Slamet said on Tuesday the program is expected to raise soybean productivity from an average of 1.6–1.8 tons per hectare to three tons per hectare.

Speaking during a soybean planting event in Grobogan District, Central Java, he said the seed assistance program forms part of the government's broader efforts to increase domestic soybean production, enabling Indonesia to better meet demand from its large tempeh and tofu industries.

"It should be noted that soybean is among our primary sources of protein, given that most Indonesians consume tempeh and tofu. Unfortunately, we continue to rely heavily on imports," Slamet said.

The ministry projects Indonesia's soybean imports to reach 2.6 million tons this year, with 1.9 million tons already received.

"For the reason, we are striving to reduce our reliance on imports by boosting national production, as instructed by the president and the agriculture minister," he added.

Grobogan had been selected as one of the starting points for the soybean production program, citing the district's reputation as a soybean powerhouse.

Slamet said the ministry is collaborating with multiple stakeholders in implementing the program in Grobogan, including the Central Java provincial government, the Grobogan district administration, Gadjah Mada University (UGM), and state-owned fertilizer producer PT Pupuk Indonesia.

"We have received support from UGM and PT Pupuk Indonesia. Hopefully, this program will serve as a model for soybean development to achieve self-sufficiency," he noted.

Under the program, the ministry is targeting soybean production of around 15,000 tons from 5,025 hectares of farmland in Grobogan.

Dean of the UGM Faculty of Agricultural Technology Mirwan Ushada said the university is applying the Smart Agriculture Enterprise approach to support the initiative.

"The Smart Agriculture Enterprise approach is interdisciplinary and involves multiple stakeholders. We will oversee the utilization of technology while creating opportunities to incorporate local values that can support the food self-sufficiency agenda," he said.

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