Government Collaborates on 10,000 Hectares of Land for Corn Cultivation to Strengthen Food and Energy Security
The government, through PT Perkebunan Nusantara I (Persero) or PTPN I, is collaborating on the use of 10,000 hectares of land spread across several regions for corn cultivation in the 2026 rendeng season.
PTPN I President Director Abdul Rivai Ras said the land, which had been set aside for replanting permanent crops, would be temporarily used for cultivating seasonal crops, particularly corn.
“This step is part of PTPN I’s efforts to support the national food and energy security programme, while optimising the use of company assets,” Rivai said in a statement on Friday, 28 August 2026.
He said the company had carefully identified and mapped its assets, especially land, so that they could be utilised optimally and provide added value.
Rivai said that when the government needed support to strengthen food and energy security, PTPN I offered a number of plots of land that could be used for a certain period for cultivating seasonal crops.
“We have land, the government needs food commodities to maintain national stability. So this collaboration happened. This is not merely business, but part of a systematic effort to strengthen national food and energy self-sufficiency,” he said.
Rivai explained that the land optimisation was part of efforts to utilise agricultural resources to support food security, economic growth, and the development of energy based on domestic resources.
He stressed that PTPN I is targeting the optimisation and use of 10,000 hectares of land for corn cultivation in 2026. The target must not stop at the figure for land area, but must also be translated into productivity and tangible benefits.
“10,000 hectares must become 10,000 productive hectares. That means the planted land must produce. We want to harvest corn, not just harvest area. Not just produce corn, but create added value,” Rivai said.
He explained that corn is not only a food commodity, but also an important raw material for the animal feed industry. Therefore, increasing corn production also supports animal protein security through strengthening the livestock industry.
Furthermore, corn development also opens opportunities for creating added value through by-products and derivative products, including the development of biomass-based bioenergy. For this reason, PTPN I views corn land development as part of a broader agribusiness ecosystem.