National Police Support Food Self-Sufficiency Through Garlic Cultivation in Sembalun

The Indonesian National Police (Polri), through its Food Task Force, is supporting the national food self-sufficiency programme by developing garlic cultivation in Sembalun District, East Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB).

Lampung Regional Police Chief Inspector General Helfi Assegaf, in his capacity as the Regional Food Task Force Head, stated that during his tenure as the National Police Food Task Force Head, he initiated a garlic planting partnership with the Pusuk Pujata Farmers Group in Sembalun District.

The programme, which began in 2025 on 15 hectares of land, has grown significantly. By July 2026, the garlic planting area had expanded to 534 hectares, utilising the Sangga Sembalun and Lumbu Putih varieties, which have an average productivity of 20–25 tonnes per hectare.

He noted that the successful development of garlic in Sembalun is tangible proof of the synergy between the National Police and farmers in supporting the national food self-sufficiency programme initiated by President Prabowo Subianto.

“Amidst challenging global geopolitical dynamics, food security is a crucial foundation for national resilience. Therefore, the Police Food Task Force and the Pusuk Pujata Farmers Group continue to increase planting areas, productivity, and garlic quality so that Indonesia becomes more self-reliant and less dependent on imports,” he said.

He added that the Police Food Task Force and the Pusuk Pujata Farmers Group will continue to strengthen innovation in the agricultural sector. In the near future, a new variety resulting from genetic testing, named HAAS, will be introduced. This variety has the advantage of being cultivable at various altitudes, is more adaptive, and produces larger bulbs than previous varieties.

“With this innovation, we are optimistic that garlic development can reach more regions in Indonesia and further strengthen national food independence,” he said.