Alif Ilham Fajriadi – Joao Angelo De Sousa Mota has decided to resign from his position as CEO of PT Agrinas Pangan Nusantara. In his announcement of resignation, Joao mentioned the invasion of large-scale rice mills to small farmers in Indonesia, who are only treated as mere laborers.
According to Joao, such practices are not favorable for national food security. The large-scale rice mills dare to sell majority of rice that is not suitable, one of the reasons being the adulteration. "There has been an extraordinary invasion by these large-scale rice mills against our farmers," said Joao at Yodya Karya Building, East Jakarta, on Monday, August 11, 2025.
Joao explained, the large-scale rice mills buy paddy from small farmers who receive government subsidies. This certainly benefits them as they obtain cheaper prices from small farmers. "They gain significant profits from what is subsidized by the government," said Joao.
Furthermore, Joao also disclosed that several businessmen and entrepreneurs have already dominated the national food sector. Meanwhile, he stated that the government only controls 10 percent of the current national food. "Hence, we are very dependent and it is very dangerous for the sustainability of a nation," said Joao.
Joao's decision to resign from his position is also part of his accountability and to maintain his reputation. Joao does not want to be labeled as someone who failed to maintain food security during his tenure at the state-owned company. Therefore, he decided to resign early after serving for six months.
He also mentioned the suboptimal support from the Investment Management Agency for National Food Security or BPI Danantara in supporting his company's performance. Although, Danantara is mentioned to have a duty to manage business and investments in state-owned companies together with the Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises.
Meanwhile, Danantara stated that they have accepted Joao's resignation. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Danantara, Rosan Roeslani, stated that Danantara Indonesia strictly applies the principle of good corporate governance in all operational aspects. "Every corporate action, including at PT Agrinas Pangan Nusantara, is carried out through comprehensive feasibility studies in accordance with procedures," said Rosan in his written statement, on Monday, August 11, 2025.
According to Rosan, the resignation of the CEO at the state-owned company will not hinder the company's affairs from continuing to operate. Services to partners and stakeholders, he said, will be carried out as usual. Furthermore, the change in leadership will also be conducted in an orderly, measured, and planned manner.