Standing by Farmers, Government Issues Import Restrictions on Cassava and Ethanol The government issued 2 Trade Ministerial Regulations to tighten the import of cassava and ethanol. Red: Dwi Murdaningsih

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - The persistence of Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman in advocating for cassava and sugarcane farmers since January 2025 has borne fruit. On the directive of President Prabowo Subianto, the government officially issued two Trade Minister Regulations (Permendag) on September 19, 2025, to tighten the import of cassava (cassava), tapioca flour, and ethanol. This policy becomes a solution to the cassava price crisis that is detrimental to farmers. In addition, this policy also ensures the absorption of local harvests and the stability of strategic commodity prices. The cassava price crisis began to emerge in January 2025, triggered by a flood of tapioca flour imports that caused local harvests to not be absorbed. On January 23, thousands of cassava farmers from seven districts in Lampung held a protest at a tapioca flour processing factory. They demanded prices according to the Joint Decree (SKB) of Rp 1,400 per kilogram. The selling price at that ...