JAKARTA, thekabarnews.com—President Prabowo Subianto has appointed IPB University rector Alim Setiawan Slamet as a deputy agriculture minister. This brings an academic with expertise in agricultural management into the government’s food-security team.

Prabowo inaugurated Alim at the State Palace in Jakarta on Thursday, Oct. 15. The appointment was formalized through Presidential Decree No. 42/M of 2026 on deputy ministers in the Red and White Cabinet, according to the Presidential State Secretariat.

Alim will assist Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman in pursuing the government’s food self-sufficiency agenda. He will also support agricultural modernization and downstream processing. This initiative aims to turn farm commodities into higher-value products before they reach consumers or export markets.

“First, I would like to thank President Prabowo Subianto for his trust. I am expected to assist Agriculture Minister Amran, particularly in advancing national strategic programs related to sustainable food self-sufficiency, the modernization of agricultural products and downstream development,” Alim said after the ceremony, according to a statement published by the Agriculture Ministry.

Alim said his academic background would shape his contribution to the ministry. He wants universities to play a larger role in translating research into practical solutions for farmers and agricultural businesses.

“I come from academia, and I hope universities’ research and innovations can be put into practice to support food self-sufficiency and downstream development, particularly by increasing added value,” he said.

Universities, he added, have developed innovations ranging from high-yield crop varieties to production technology. Applying those findings more widely could improve productivity. Moreover, it could help farmers capture a larger share of the value generated along the supply chain.

Alim was born in Demak, Central Java, on Feb. 27, 1982. He studied agricultural industrial technology at IPB before earning a doctorate in agribusiness and agricultural economics from Ehime University in Japan. His areas of expertise include strategic management, supply chain management and agricultural marketing, according to IPB University.

His appointment comes as the government seeks to maintain recent gains in domestic rice production. Statistics Indonesia (BPS) estimated that rice output for food consumption reached 34.69 million tonnes in 2025. This marks an increase of 13.29 percent from the previous year.

The official figure provides a statistical benchmark for assessing the government’s food self-sufficiency claims. However, maintaining production will depend on weather, irrigation and farmers’ access to inputs.

Alim joins Muhammad Saleh Mustafa as one of the ministry’s two deputy ministers. He said he was still awaiting Amran’s instructions on the specific division of responsibilities.

Immediately after the inauguration, Alim also said he remained IPB rector while the university prepared a transition under its internal rules. His effectiveness in government will ultimately depend on whether academic innovation can reach farms. It will also depend on whether it can raise productivity and deliver measurable improvements in farmers’ incomes.