Bondowoso (ANTARA) – Coordinating Minister for Food, Zulkifli Hasan, conducted a direct inspection of the government’s new policy to reduce the prices of subsidized fertilizers during a visit to Bondowoso District, East Java, on Wednesday.At a fertilizer kiosk in Taman Village, he told a farmer that under President Prabowo Subianto’s directive, the government has instructed retailers and distributors to lower subsidized fertilizer prices by up to 20 percent, effective October 22.Specifically, the retail price ceiling for subsidized urea fertilizer now stands at Rp90 thousand (around US$5.3) per 50-kilogram sack, down from Rp112,500 previously. Meanwhile, the price of NPK fertilizer has dropped from Rp115 thousand to Rp92 thousand per sack.Hasan confirmed that state-run fertilizer company Pupuk Indonesia has begun enforcing the policy, cutting the prices of subsidized urea, NPK, and organic fertilizers across several regions in Indonesia.“Pupuk Indonesia has shifted its pricing mechanism from a cost-plus model to a market-to-market approach, aligning prices with market dynamics,” the minister explained.He emphasized that the price reduction demonstrates the government’s strong commitment to ensuring fertilizer accessibility, improving farmers’ welfare, and strengthening the national food security agenda, as mandated by President Prabowo.According to him, the policy is also expected to improve Pupuk Indonesia’s budget efficiency, enabling the company to build one fertilizer factory each year.Farmer Ariyana Wahilda expressed her gratitude for the price reduction, calling it proof of the government’s concern for farmers.“I would like to thank Mr. President, Pupuk Indonesia, and the Coordinating Minister for Food for lowering subsidized fertilizer prices, which helps farmers reduce agricultural production costs,” she said.Earlier, on October 31, Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman reiterated that the government would enforce strict sanctions on retailers and distributors failing to comply with the price reduction.This stance has been implemented through the revocation of business permits for 190 retailers and distributors found guilty of price violations. Sulaiman underscored that none of them would be allowed to resume operations in the future.
Minister reviews fertilizer price cut policy in East Java\’s Bondowoso
