Indonesia Cracks Down on Illegal Rice Imports Amidst Production Surge

Government Discovers 250 Tons of Smuggled Rice

The Indonesian government has made a significant discovery of 250 tons of illegal rice imports in Sabang, allegedly originating from Thailand ¹

. This latest finding follows previous reports of smuggled food products entering Indonesian ports. Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman revealed that the illegal rice was detected in Sabang, while a subsequent investigation by Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan (Zulhas) found no evidence of official import permits being issued ¹

Source 1

https://finance.detik.com/berita-ekonomi-bisnis/d-8228398/impor-ilegal-terjadi-lagi-beras-hingga-minyak-goreng-masuk-batam

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Government's Stance on Rice Imports

Zulhas emphasized that Indonesia has not issued any rice import permits due to the country's record rice production of 34.77 million tons in 2025, marking a significant 13.54% increase from the previous year ¹

. The government attributes this production boost to various agricultural initiatives and favorable weather conditions. Zulhas stated that the information about the illegal rice shipment was received on November 13, 2025, and was not from official channels but from external sources ¹

Source 1

https://finance.detik.com/berita-ekonomi-bisnis/d-8228398/impor-ilegal-terjadi-lagi-beras-hingga-minyak-goreng-masuk-batam

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Broader Context of Food Smuggling

This recent discovery is not an isolated incident. Amran Sulaiman later revealed additional findings of illegal imports, including rice, sugar, cooking oil, and milk, entering through Batam's Tanjung Sengkuang People's Port, again allegedly from Thailand ²

. The Minister expressed appreciation for the swift action taken by local authorities and emphasized the importance of protecting Indonesian farmers' morale amid these discoveries ²

Source 2

https://finance.detik.com/berita-ekonomi-bisnis/d-8229429/zulhas-soal-temuan-250-ton-beras-impor-tak-pernah-ada-izin

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Implications for Indonesian Agriculture

The government's firm stance against illegal imports comes as Indonesia achieves record agricultural production levels. The administration is keen to maintain the momentum of this agricultural success while ensuring that illegal trade practices do not undermine local farmers' interests. The discovery of these illegal imports highlights the ongoing challenges faced by Indonesian authorities in monitoring and controlling food imports across various entry points.