The Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU) is typically associated with\nfighter jets, transport aircraft, and its elite orange-beret troops.\nHowever, these air warriors have proven capable on the ground, with\ntheir agricultural output now supporting the national food supply.<\/p>\n
Their success lies in sugarcane cultivation. The Air Force has\ndeclared that it has met 45.05 percent of the national sugar requirement\nfor 2026 through its managed plantations. This achievement was\nrecognised by President Prabowo Subianto during a grand harvest at\nAbdulrachman Saleh Air Force Base in Malang, East Java.<\/p>\n
The TNI AU manages 236,048 hectares of plantations with a potential\nproduction of 18.386 million tonnes of sugarcane, equivalent to 1.36\nmillion tonnes of sugar. This figure represents 45.05 percent of the\n2026 national sugar production target. With this achievement, the\npresident\u2019s target for replanting sugarcane fields across Indonesia\nappears easily attainable. During the harvest event, Prabowo instructed\nthe Minister of Agriculture to rejuvenate 100,000 hectares of sugarcane\nland within four years, though the minister boldly claimed it could be\ndone in two years. Data from the Ministry of Agriculture recorded\n796,187 sugarcane farmers managing 520,823 hectares of harvest land as\nof November 2025.<\/p>\n
The Air Force\u2019s agricultural involvement is not new. Since the\nleadership transition from President Joko Widodo to President Prabowo\nSubianto, the TNI AU has actively run food security programmes,\ncultivating vegetables and fruits. These activities are carried out by\nairbases across Indonesia, utilising surrounding land to create food\nreserves in partnership with local farmers and communities. The harvests\nare available for direct consumption or further processing by the\npublic.<\/p>\n
This same concept was applied to sugarcane cultivation, with the Air\nForce providing seeds, fertiliser, and all supporting facilities. Data\nindicates that eight airbases manage sugarcane plantations: Iswahjudi in\nMagetan, Adisutjipto in Bantul, Adi Soemarmo in Boyolali, Sultan\nHasanuddin in Takalar, Muljono in Pasuruan, Jenderal Besar Soedirman in\nPurbalingga, Sugiri Sukani in Majalengka, and Pangeran M Bun Yamin in\nLampung. The planting process began in 2025 at several of these bases.\nThe entire land management process, from planting and maintenance to\nharvesting, is carried out by Air Force personnel with the assistance of\nlocal sugarcane farmers. For instance, Iswahjudi Air Force Base manages\n68 hectares of agricultural land, with 62 hectares dedicated to\nsugarcane of the Bulu Lawang variety, yielding an estimated 60 tonnes\nper hectare with a 6 percent sugar content, and involving over 100 local\nfarmers.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesian-air-force-successfully-builds-national-sugarcane-plantations-1784638485", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }