South Sumatra Police Empowers Farmer Groups, Provides Corn Seeds and Agricultural Equipment

This initiative was carried out by the South Sumatra Police Chief, Inspector General Sandi Nugroho, during the 2nd Quarter Simultaneous Corn Harvest event held in Bumi Agung Jaya Village, Ogan Komering Ulu (OKU) Selatan Regency, on Saturday (May 16, 2026).

In his speech before the ranks of the Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda), banking representatives, and hundreds of farmers, Inspector General Sandi emphasized that the philosophy of local empowerment is the main foundation of his institution in supporting food producers in the field.

“In the spirit of ‘Nyago Bumi Sriwijaya,’ the Police are not only present to maintain security and public order, but also to ensure food security, maintain distribution, protect farmers’ harvests, and promote community welfare,” said the two-star general.

As a concrete manifestation of this empowerment commitment, the South Sumatra Police realizes that the target of increasing the area of land under cultivation must be supported by adequate infrastructure and seeds. During this mass harvest event, tens of thousands of kilograms of superior corn seeds of the ADV 105 S Bejo variety were distributed to boost the productivity of Farmer Groups (Poktan).

In addition to seeds, the Police Chief also explained that his office has facilitated the distribution of various agricultural machinery to improve the efficiency of post-harvest land management.

“This commitment is realized through the provision of dozens of units of Agricultural Machinery (Alsintan), ranging from tractors and planting machines to drying facilities, to maximize the productivity of the fostered farmer groups,” said Inspector General Sandi.

The South Sumatra Police also understands the classic problem that often plagues farmers, namely the issue of capital. In response to this, the Police are working closely with the Association of State-Owned Banks (Himbara) operating in the South Sumatra region, such as BRI, BNI, and Bank Mandiri.

Through this synergy, the police act as facilitators, assisting the fostered Poktan so that they can access People’s Business Credit (KUR) with safe and targeted procedures.

“On the other hand, we also support strengthening access to capital through the People’s Business Credit (KUR). Currently, there are 320 fostered Farmer Groups that have applied for KUR through Himbara banks. Of this number, only 52 groups have been approved, while the others are still in the verification stage,” explained Inspector General Sandi.

Furthermore, Inspector General Sandi invited all elements to maintain the cooperation that has been established in the land of Sriwijaya.

“Let us continue to strengthen synergy in supporting Food Self-Sufficiency in 2026. With the spirit of hard work, smart work, thorough work, and sincere work, let us realize a South Sumatra that is safe, productive, and prosperous,” he said.

In line with these directions, the Head of Public Relations of the South Sumatra Police, Commissioner Nandang Mu’min Wijaya, emphasized that the assistance provided by the police from upstream to downstream will continue to be evaluated and closely monitored.

“The support in the form of seeds, Alsintan, and assistance in accessing KUR is a direct implementation of the instructions from the South Sumatra Police Chief. We want to ensure that the presence of personnel in the field truly becomes a problem solver. The Police not only provide security guarantees, but also act as a proactive facilitator that drives the economic wheels of farmers so that their welfare increases and the target of self-sufficiency is achieved,” said Commissioner Nandang. (whn/dhn)