Indonesia targets nationwide sugarcane replanting within two years
President Prabowo Subianto has ordered an accelerated replanting of Indonesia’s aging sugarcane fields, aiming to complete the nationwide program within two years. The government is linking the drive to sugar self-sufficiency, food security and the expansion of ethanol-based industries.
Two-year target replaces four-year timetable
Indonesia is seeking to replant all of its aging sugarcane fields within two years as the government accelerates efforts to achieve sugar self-sufficiency. President Prabowo Subianto announced the revised timetable during a military-supported sugarcane harvest event in Malang, East Java, on July 17, 2026.
According to ANTARA, Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman initially presented a program covering 100,000 hectares annually, which would have required four years. After further discussions, the minister said the work could be completed in two years. Prabowo said Indonesia had not conducted a broad sugarcane replanting program for 12 years, leaving old plants in fields where productivity had declined. Metro TV also reported that the president intends to renew all national sugarcane land to support domestic sugar independence and food security.
More than 520,000 hectares under cultivation
Agriculture Ministry data cited by ANTARA show that, as of November 2025, Indonesia had 796,621 sugarcane farmers managing 520,823 hectares of harvested land. The available reports do not specify how much of this area requires replanting or disclose a revised budget for completing the program within two years.
The Indonesian Air Force is assisting production across 236,048 hectares, with potential output estimated at 18.386 million tonnes of sugarcane, equivalent to 1.36 million tonnes of sugar. Tribunnews said this volume would represent about 45.05% of Indonesia’s national sugar production target for 2026. At Abdulrachman Saleh Air Base in Malang, 800.5 hectares were ready for harvest, with expected production of approximately 72,045 tonnes of sugarcane.
Military land supports sugar and ethanol plans
The Malang project combines cultivation, mechanized harvesting, sugar production and downstream processing. Tribunnews reported that more than six sugarcane harvesters and over 20 trucks loaded with harvested cane were present for the event. The development also includes production routes for molasses, industrial and pharmaceutical bioethanol, green fuel, organic fertilizer, spirits, protein and other ethanol-based products.
Prabowo placed the replanting drive within a wider push for food and energy security, while praising the role of the armed forces and police in agricultural programs. The Air Force is focused on sugarcane, while other military branches are supporting soybean and rice cultivation. For sugar producers and processors, the decisive issue will be whether accelerated field renewal produces enough higher-yielding cane to supply mills consistently. For ethanol investors, a larger cane harvest could improve feedstock availability, but the sources provide no timetable or capacity targets for the downstream facilities.
