National Police Chief and Coordinating Minister for Food Hold Garlic Harvest in Sembalun

National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo, together with Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan, Minister of Agriculture Amran Sulaiman, and Chair of Commission IV of the Indonesian House of Representatives Titiek Soeharto, visited Sembalun in East Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. They attended a garlic harvest festival as well as the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a garlic buffer warehouse in Sembalun on Wednesday (19/8/2026).

The garlic development programme is part of the Police Food Task Force’s efforts to support the national food self-sufficiency target. The programme is in line with the directive of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.

“The President emphasised the importance of national food independence and security amid the uncertain escalation of the global situation,” said Listyo in his speech.

Garlic cultivation in Sembalun began to be developed in 2025 together with the Pusuk Pujata Farmers Group, with an initial area of around 15 hectares. The programme has now grown significantly.

By July 2026, the area planted with garlic in the Sembalun region had reached approximately 534 hectares, using the Sangga Sembalun and Lumbu Putih varieties. The productivity of both varieties was recorded at an average of 20 to 25 tonnes per hectare.

In July 2026, the Police Food Task Force also carried out a harvest festival on 105 hectares of land. To date, the harvest process has reached around 76 percent, equivalent to 73.5 hectares, with total production reaching 1,470 tonnes.

The development of this commodity is expected not only to strengthen domestic garlic availability but also to provide economic benefits for farmers and strengthen food security in the region.

“Our shared hope is that we can achieve self-sufficiency, that our communities and farmers prosper, and that the Indonesian nation truly has sovereignty in its own land,” said Listyo.