Indonesians Love Eating Tempe, Titiek Soeharto Urges Ministry of Agriculture to Boost Soybean Production The House of Representatives appreciates the Ministry of Agriculture's achievements in increasing the productivity of rice and corn. Rep: Frederikus Bata/ Red: Satria K Yudha

REPUBLICA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — Chair of Commission IV of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia, Siti Hediati Hariyadi, urges the Ministry of Agriculture to increase national soybean production to reduce import dependency. She considers soybeans to be a strategic commodity given the high consumption of soybean-based products by the public. “We are a nation of tofu and tempeh eaters, soybeans should be a priority,” said the figure affectionately known as Titiek Soeharto during a working meeting with the Ministry of Agriculture at the Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, Monday (24/11/2025). Titiek presented the gap between domestic soybean needs and production. According to her, national needs reach about 2.9 million tons per year. Of that amount, local production only reaches 300 thousand to 400 thousand tons. The rest is fulfilled through imports. “Our imports are 2.6 million tons, Sir, that’s a lot. If converted to rupiah, it’s in the trillions,” she said. She ...