Indonesian Navy to ensure all units carry out soybean planting programme

Jakarta — The Head of Public Information at the Indonesian Navy (Kadispenal), First Admiral TNI Tunggul, said all Navy units in the region have rolled out a soybean planting programme simultaneously. The move is part of strengthening regional food security in line with the central government’s programme. ‘This programme is driven through the TNI AL’s Satkowil regional commands in the region, such as Kodaeral, Naval Bases (Lanal), and units of the Marine Corps, under coordination from the Navy’s Pusat Teritorial Angkatan Laut (Pusteral),’ Tunggul told ANTARA in Jakarta on Saturday. In land management, the Navy does not only mobilise personnel but also engages local residents to participate in soybean planting. This approach is intended to educate residents on soybean cultivation so they can, in future, run their own farms. ‘TNI AL personnel, particularly the Babinpotmar, act as catalysts, mentors, and providers of facilities, while the fieldwork is carried out jointly with residents so that the results can directly bolster the local economy,’ Tunggul said. The outcomes of the soybean land management by the Navy are reportedly substantial. He said in several areas they had harvested two to four tonnes of soybeans. ‘For instance, on land in Lampung harvested in October 2025 on 30 hectares, the yield was 4 tonnes per hectare,’ he said. ‘Meanwhile, last week in Nganjuk, East Java, on 400 hectares, the estimated yield was 1.5 to 2 tonnes per hectare,’ he added. With this programme, Tunggul is confident that regional food security and local economy will be strengthened. Previously, Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said his ministry had assigned tasks to the Indonesian Army and Navy to drive the food-security programme. ‘We have already divided tasks, that for the Army the tasks are agriculture, maize, and rice, in addition to secondary crops. The Navy is responsible for soybeans,’ Sjafrie said during a parliamentary hearing (RDP) with Commission I of the DPR RI at the Parliament building in Senayan, Central Jakarta, on Tuesday (19 May). According to Sjafrie, the Navy was given the task of planting soybeans because Indonesia has long relied on imports of two tonnes of soybeans to meet national needs. He noted that soybeans imported from abroad to Indonesia are mainly used as feed for livestock. ‘So, imagine, we import soybeans for feed for animals abroad. Now, the Navy, with two harvests, already has soybean seed quality that is no longer suitable for livestock feed,’ he said during the session.