Jakarta — The Indonesian government, through the Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan), continues to strengthen national food security by prioritizing land optimization as a key strategy to achieve food self-sufficiency.
Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman emphasized that his ministry is accelerating food production, particularly rice, through the establishment of the Brigade Pangan (Food Brigade).
“One of our concrete steps is the formation of the Food Brigade, which focuses on managing land optimally and professionally,” said Amran during the launch of the Food Brigade training program in Jakarta.
The Food Brigade acts as the spearhead of modern agriculture management using a business-oriented, profit-driven approach. Amran explained that each brigade will manage up to 200 hectares of land, including optimizing swamp land and developing community-based rice fields.
“By leveraging technology and involving the younger generation, we aim to strengthen food resilience and achieve sustainable self-sufficiency,” he stated.
The program is supported by the provision of agricultural machinery and equipment (alsintan), high-quality seeds, fertilizers, and intensive training. Alsintan is seen as a symbol of agricultural modernization that accelerates planting and harvesting processes.
“With alsintan, we can carry out land cultivation and harvesting efficiently and simultaneously,” Amran noted.
Head of the Agricultural Human Resources Development and Extension Agency (BPPSDMP), Idha Widi Arsanti, stated that the government aims to establish 4,224 Food Brigades. To date, 1,900 brigades have been formed, with 1,154 already operating across 12 provinces, managing a total of 230,800 hectares of land.
“To support their performance, we have distributed 2,347 units of agricultural machinery, including two-wheeled and four-wheeled tractors, as well as crawler tractors,” Santi explained.
She added that training for young farmers focuses on operating machinery, farm business management, and financial planning.
Support has also come from student organizations. Chairman of the Central Executive Board of KAMMI (Indonesian Muslim Student Action Union), Ahmad Jundi, expressed his organization’s commitment to support the Ministry of Agriculture.
“We are ready to mobilize our members to accelerate the implementation of the Food Brigade program,” he said after meeting with the minister.
Jundi mentioned that with over 40,000 members across various regions, KAMMI will begin mapping the potential of its members to join the program.
“We see this as a concrete form of youth contribution in strengthening the nation’s foundation through the food sector,” he added.
The Food Brigade program will be concentrated in 12 strategic provinces and will play a vital role in enhancing national food security and realizing sustainable food self-sufficiency.
