Deli Serdang (ANTARA) - Member of the Indonesian House of\nRepresentatives (DPR RI), Sugiat Santoso, believes that the shallot\ndevelopment undertaken by Pondok Pesantren Al-Hidayah in Mencirim\nVillage, Deli Serdang, North Sumatra, is a strategic step towards\nsupporting national food security and independence.<\/p>\n
According to him, achieving food independence requires the\ninvolvement of all elements of society, including Islamic boarding\nschools (pesantren) and educational institutions, in utilising available\nland.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf all educational institutions outside of state supervision were to\ndo what Pondok Pesantren Al-Hidayah is doing by utilising existing land\nfor food security, I believe the government\u2019s targets would be achieved\nmuch faster,\u201d he said in Deli Serdang on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Sugiat also encouraged that agricultural yields should not stop at\nthe sale of raw materials. Cultivated shallots could be developed into\nprocessed products to increase added value and income.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo not sell them raw immediately. If they can be downstreamed into\nfried shallots with impressive packaging, the value will certainly be\nmuch higher,\u201d said the Gerindra politician.<\/p>\n
In addition to shallots, Sugiat appreciated the development of sugar\npalm (aren) carried out by Pondok Pesantren Al-Hidayah.<\/p>\n
In his view, the development of agricultural commodities alongside\nconservation efforts demonstrates the potential of pesantren to serve as\ncentres for community economic empowerment and environmental\npreservation.<\/p>\n
He stated his readiness to encourage collaboration in the development\nof Pondok Pesantren Al-Hidayah through policy, budgetary support,\ninstitutional networks, and cooperation with various parties.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe hope our presence here can be beneficial to this pesantren,\nwhether within the framework of policy, budget, networks, or other forms\nof collaboration,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Previously, the leader of Pondok Pesantren Al-Hidayah, Khairul\nGhazali, stated that they possess experience in shallot cultivation.\nDuring the Covid-19 pandemic, the pesantren developed shallots under the\nguidance of Bank Indonesia and achieved good results.<\/p>\n
\u201cDuring Covid, I planted shallots directly under the guidance of Bank\nIndonesia and it was successful. We implemented a system guided by\nagricultural experts brought in by Bank Indonesia,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Khairul noted that the current development of shallots is a form of\nthe pesantren\u2019s contribution to supporting food security while helping\nto maintain commodity price stability, which impacts inflation.<\/p>\n
Besides shallots, Pondok Pesantren Al-Hidayah is also developing\nsugar palm as a conservation crop and a source of community economic\nempowerment. Thousands of sugar palm trees have been planted within the\npesantren area, and the yields are being processed into various\nproducts, such as moulded sugar, granulated sugar, and candied palm\nfruit (kolang-kaling).<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/mp-sugiat-santoso-applauds-islamic-boarding-schools-shallot-development-1789297130", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }