Jakarta, Jan. 30 -- Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman informed that budget refocusing by his ministry last year helped push up rice production by 1.49 million tons year on year in August-December 2024.

According to him, the budget was refocused to tackle the challenges wrought by climate change last year, such as the El Nino phenomenon, the La Nina phenomenon, and drought.

He delivered the remarks at the "Accelerating Indonesia's Economic Growth: Challenges and Opportunities in a New Era" event in Jakarta on Thursday.

With budget refocusing, the allocation of Rp1.7 trillion (around US$104.6 million)-which was previously meant for official travels, seminars, building renovation, and meetings at hotels-was prioritized for purchasi...