Jakarta, July 15 -- Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman has described fraudulent rice practices, such as adulteration, as a significant impediment to President Prabowo Subianto's ambitious goal of achieving national food self-sufficiency and promised to curb them.

"We will take firm action against such practices. This is a betrayal of farmers, consumers, and the spirit of food self-sufficiency," he said in an official statement released by the ministry on Tuesday.

Currently, the National Police's food task force is investigating several large companies over fraudulent rice trade, with 212 brands implicated in the case.

Minister Sulaiman confirmed that he has asked the chief of National Police ( Polri ), General Listyo Sigit Prabow...