RRI.CO.ID, Makassar - To strengthen regional and national food security, state-owned PT Pupuk Indonesia has officially expanded its subsidized fertilizer distribution to include the fishery sector in South Sulawesi. For the 2026 fiscal year, the province has been allocated a total of 971,065 tons of subsidized fertilizer, with 102,480 tons specifically earmarked for aquaculture and fisheries.

This policy shift marks a significant departure from previous years when subsidies were primarily focused on the agricultural sector. Senior Manager of PT Pupuk Indonesia for the Sulawesi, Maluku, and Papua regions, Sukodim, announced the new mandate during a press briefing in Makassar on Thursday, April 9, 2026.

"Starting this year, we have been entrusted with distributing subsidized fertilizer to the fishery sector as part of efforts to support national and regional food security," said Sukodim, as quoted by Antara.

He highlighted that the total provincial allocation has increased by 124,344 tons, a 14.6 percent rise, largely driven by this new fishery inclusion and the introduction of SP36 fertilizer.

The 2026 allocation for South Sulawesi includes 439,495 tons of Urea, 388,755 tons of NPK Phonska, 98,159 tons of Organic fertilizer, and 23,887 tons of the newly introduced SP36. While most categories saw an increase, NPK Kakao experienced a slight decrease, dropping from 23,825 tons in 2025 to 20,636 tons this year.

Sukodim emphasized that the overall growth in supply is directly linked to the newly established support for fisheries. "The main reason for this significant additional allocation is the subsidized fertilizer for the fishery sector in 2026, which did not exist previously," he added.

To ensure transparency and ease of access, the redemption process remains digitized. Fishermen and farmers can continue to claim their allocations at official kiosks or delivery points through the i-Pubers application.

The system has been further enhanced to allow distributors and kiosks to place orders directly within the app, streamlining the supply chain from warehouses to the end-users in South Sulawesi. ***