Lawmaker Calls for Wheat Substitution to Reduce Food Import Dependence

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – Member of Indonesia's House of Representatives (DPR), Firman Soebagyo, has proposed substituting staple foods in Indonesia to reduce the country’s dependence on food imports. The proposal is related to Indonesia’s efforts to achieve food self-sufficiency, with the government claiming that domestic production of eight commodities has already met the country’s food needs.

Firman cited wheat, which is commonly used as a raw ingredient for bread and noodles in Indonesia, as one example. He said wheat should gradually be replaced with sorghum to reduce wheat imports.

“Replacing wheat with sorghum also needs to be carried out so that we are not dependent on wheat. Sorghum can be used in many ways to replace wheat as a raw material for noodles, and later for cakes and other products,” he said after the Annual Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) and the Indonesian President’s State Address in Jakarta on Friday, 14 August 2026.

Firman said replacing wheat with sorghum could save a significant amount of the country’s foreign exchange. Indonesia imports tens of millions of tons of wheat each year to meet domestic demand.

“If this is done, the foreign exchange savings would be quite substantial,” he said.

The lawmaker also highlighted the potential of cassava as another way to reduce dependence on wheat. Cassava can be processed into tapioca flour, which can be used as an alternative raw material to wheat.

“Once cassava starts being processed into cassava flour, or tapioca, it can gradually replace wheat products. Wheat can also gradually be replaced with sorghum, and imports should then be reduced gradually. If that happens, I am confident Indonesia will be able to achieve self-reliance,” he said.

Earlier, President Prabowo Subianto claimed in his state address that Indonesia had achieved self-sufficiency in eight commodities: rice, corn, table sugar, chicken meat, chicken eggs, shallots, large chilli peppers, and bird’s eye chillies.

Prabowo also identified four commodities that are currently moving toward self-sufficiency. Instead of sorghum and cassava, the four commodities are garlic, soybeans, beef, and buffalo meat.

“With the spirit of cooperation, we have achieved an accomplishment recognized by the world. Therefore, this year we have achieved self-sufficiency in eight food commodities,” he said.