Antara News·Indonesia·Thursday, October 29, 2026 at 04:14 AM UTC

Indonesia to export mocaf as cassava prices rise

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M. Harianto, Tegar Nurfitra

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government plans to begin exporting modified cassava flour (mocaf) to expand markets and capitalize on rising cassava prices for domestic farmers.

Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman said in Jakarta on Wednesday (Oct 28) that the government is pursuing export opportunities following President Prabowo Subianto's directive to halt cassava imports to protect local farmers.

According to Amran, the import ban was introduced after authorities received reports that farm-gate cassava prices had fallen to as low as Rp700 per kilogram.

He said the policy had proven effective, with prices rising to around Rp3,000 (around US$0.18) per kilogram, based on his discussions with farmers in Lampung on Sunday (Oct 25).

"In short, farmers are making a profit. When farmers profit, they can continue producing," the minister said.

He described the mocaf export plan as part of the government's broader effort to support cassava farmers, emphasizing that government intervention extends beyond the import ban.

"God willing, we will begin exports next week. We hope to move from being a major importer to becoming an exporter within a very short period of time," he said.

Amran said the export plan highlights the importance of accelerating cassava downstreaming to produce higher-value, more competitive products such as mocaf, which offer greater economic benefits for the country.

Such downstreaming initiatives could also strengthen links between farmers, processing industries, and export markets, he added.

The minister noted that achieving this objective would require greater attention to supply chain sustainability, product quality standards, production capacity, and the absorption of farmers' output.

He expressed confidence that expanding processing industries would increase demand for locally produced cassava, creating more favorable market conditions for farmers, boosting productivity, and generating business opportunities and jobs in producing regions.

Thus, halting imports could also serve as an opportunity to boost the competitiveness of Indonesian cassava products, he said.

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