PT Pupuk Indonesia (Persero) is committed to continuously supporting the sustainability of food self-sufficiency by maintaining the availability and affordability of fertilizers for farmers. One of the efforts undertaken is securing the supply of key fertilizer raw materials.

Pupuk Indonesia has agreed to establish cooperation with Somiphos, a phosphate mining company from Algeria. This agreement is outlined in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on phosphate industry development, which was signed directly by President Director of Pupuk Indonesia, Rahmad Pribadi, and President Director of Somiphos, Mokhtar Lekhal, in Algeria on Tuesday (January 20, 2026), local time.

“Rock phosphate is the main raw material for the fertilizer industry and can only be obtained through mining. Pupuk Indonesia needs it to produce fertilizers. This cooperation with Somiphos is aimed at ensuring the sustainability of raw material supply in order to secure domestic fertilizer needs, as well as demonstrating our commitment to sustainable national food self-sufficiency,” said Rahmad.

Through this cooperation, Pupuk Indonesia will receive support for rock phosphate supplies of up to 1 million tons per year for domestic needs, while also opening opportunities to collaborate with several companies in Algeria to develop integrated phosphate-based fertilizer industry projects.

This agreement aims to build a partnership in developing cooperation opportunities in the phosphate sector, particularly the potential supply of Algerian phosphate to Pupuk Indonesia. It also explores opportunities for joint investment in phosphate exploitation and processing activities in Algeria, as well as the development of projects related to downstream phosphate products.

“Therefore, Pupuk Indonesia welcomes cooperation with Somiphos and the Sonarem Group. This partnership can ensure the sustainability of food self-sufficiency through the fulfillment of fertilizer raw materials, particularly phosphate,” he added.

The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding was witnessed by Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia, Sudaryono; Algeria’s Minister of State and Minister of Energy and Mining, Mohamed Arkab; CEO of the Sonarem Group, Reda Belhaj; and other related stakeholders.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture Sudaryono stated that this cooperation is part of the implementation of directives from President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, to strengthen the supply chain of fertilizer raw materials and reduce fertilizer prices for the welfare of Indonesian farmers. He noted that dependence on imported raw materials has been one of the factors affecting fertilizer cost structures. Therefore, long-term partnerships are considered crucial to strengthening national food security.

“President Prabowo Subianto has given very clear directives that the state must be present to ensure fertilizers are available, affordable, and delivered on time for farmers. This phosphate cooperation with Algeria is a concrete step to strengthen the upstream sector of the national fertilizer industry so that production costs can be reduced and fertilizer prices for the people become more affordable,” said the Deputy Minister.

“The results of this cooperation are expected to create added value, improve the efficiency of the national fertilizer industry, and support government programs in achieving food self-sufficiency,” he added.

Algeria’s Minister of State and Minister of Energy and Mining, Mohamed Arkab, emphasized that the signing of this Memorandum of Understanding is part of directives from the President of Algeria aimed at strengthening economic partnerships with friendly countries. This is particularly relevant in the strategic mining sector (especially phosphate), which is considered a key pillar in national economic diversification, the development of processing industries, and value creation.

He stressed that this partnership is important in supporting Algeria–Indonesia cooperation, encouraging productive investment, and facilitating the transfer of experience and technology for the mutual benefit of both countries.

In addition to Somiphos, Pupuk Indonesia is also exploring cooperation with Sonatrach, Algeria’s state-owned oil and gas company, to create a fertilizer industry ecosystem in Algeria. “With the availability and affordable price of gas in Algeria, we can work together to develop an integrated fertilizer industry ecosystem in Algeria, whose products can be used to meet national needs,” added Rahmad Pribadi.

Somiphos itself is a state-owned phosphate mining company of Algeria, engaged in the exploration, mining, processing, and marketing of phosphate rock.

Somiphos operates in the Tebessa region of eastern Algeria and is known as a major phosphate producer from the Djebel Onk mining area, one of the largest phosphate deposits in Algeria. The company was established in January 2005 as part of the reorganization of the national phosphate industry and operates within the SONAREM Group ecosystem (Algeria’s national mining company).