Jakarta: Indonesia’s National Food Agency (Bapanas) has absorbed more than 60,000 tons of farmers’ sugar using Rp1.5 trillion (about $97 million) from the sovereign wealth fund Danantara, as part of its program to stabilize market prices, reports Antara News.
Bapanas Head Arief Prasetyo Adi said on Wednesday that around 21,000 tons remain to be purchased from the total target of 81,000 tons. “The sugar is taken in and later distributed, so there is a regular flow in and out,” he explained.
Adi noted that sugar stocks purchased by state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are generally distributed within two to three months. The funding is intended to prevent prices from dropping at the farmer level, and Bapanas has also urged private firms to help absorb excess supply to support stability.
The sugar is being procured by SOE food holding company ID FOOD and placed in the national food reserves (CPP). Distribution is expected to begin between December 2025 and January 2026, following the milling season, to ensure steady supply and prices in the market.
Responding to concerns about refined sugar appearing in traditional markets, Adi said Bapanas has asked the National Police Food Task Force to act against such practices. “Refined sugar is intended for the food and beverage industry. If it reaches consumer markets, it hurts sugarcane farmers and disrupts fair trade,” he stressed.
As of September 23, ID FOOD had absorbed 92,830 tons of sugar. The first 29,000 tons were financed by commercial banks, while the remaining 63,830 tons were funded through Danantara.
The initiative is part of the government’s broader food security and price control measures, aimed at protecting farmers while maintaining stable supply for consumers.
