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Indonesia’s National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM) has drafted a new regulation that would mandate the use of a “Nutri-Level” front-of-pack labeling system for sugar, salt, and fat (SSF) content and set maximum SSF levels.

Biodiesel production is expected to remain flat in Malaysia at 1.58 billion liters, as the country is likely to remain at a B10 blend rate as B20 and B30 mandate goals have not advanced.

Overall, Indonesia’s total 2024/25 coffee production rose by approximately 2.4 million bags from the previous year. However, post revised down this 2024/25 production estimate 8 percent from the previous report’s estimate to 10 million bags as robusta crop recovery from severe weather impacts in 2023/24 underperformed expectations.

Post projects a slight increase in fresh apple production in Marketing Year (MY) 2024/25, forecast at 488,000 metric tons (MT), while pear production is expected to decrease to 655,000 MT from the previous year.

The signature campaign promise of the newly sworn-in Prabowo administration, the Free Nutritious Meals Program, will be a large driver of increased demand over the next five years as the program aims to provide milk to over 82 million beneficiaries daily by 2029.

As FAS Jakarta previously reported, the Government of Indonesia granted an extension until, “no later than October 17, 2026” for imported food and beverage products to come into compliance with Indonesia’s mandatory halal certification requirements.

Research and development of agricultural biotechnology in Indonesia continue to progress gradually. Over the past year, around 10 GE crop events have obtained food and feed approval, although only one has received environmental approval for domestic cultivation. To date, more than 50 crop events have received food and feed safety certificates.

The Government of Argentina (GOA) approved five new genetically engineered (GE) events in late 2023 and 2024, including one cotton, two soybean, and two corn events. In 2024, the first three applications were submitted for joint assessment by the agricultural regulatory agencies of Argentina and Brazil under the Cooperation Agreement on Biosafety of Modern Biotechnology Products, signed in 2022.

There have been no major changes to Malaysia's biotechnology regulations in the past year. The country continues to review its Biosafety Act, including how it will regulate gene edited products in the future. Malaysia currently has 61 genetically engineered (GE) products approved for import.

In 2024, Argentina's dairy production faced significant challenges, primarily due to severe weather and economic issues which led to a projected 7 percent decline in milk output, estimated at 10,708 metric tons (MT).

This report serves as an update to FAS Jakarta’s October 4, 2024 report on the Indonesian Quarantine Authority’s (IQA) expanded “prior notice” requirements (please see GAIN Report ID2024-0028).

Post increases marketing year (MY) 2024/2025 soybean production to reach 52 million metric tons (MMT), up 1 MMT higher than USDA official and Post’s previous estimate on 17.2 million hectares (MHA) harvested as producers shift to more soy away from corn over fears of the impact of corn stunt (leafhopper/Chicharrita) in corn, continued low prices, and expected dry conditions.