West Java Governor Urges Farmers to Adopt New Methods to Boost Soybean Self-Sufficiency

West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi attended a soybean planting event on 210 hectares of land to support the national soybean self-sufficiency target for 2026. The event took place on land under a Cultivation Rights Title (HGU) owned by PT PG Rajawali II in Sukamulya Village, Tukdana District, Indramayu Regency, on Wednesday (10/6/2026). In his remarks, KDM, as Dedi Mulyadi is known, expressed hope that the planting would yield an excellent harvest. ‘Hopefully the soybeans will flourish, the water will flow, and the results will satisfy all parties, with soybean productivity increasing,’ he said. KDM urged farmers in West Java to abandon incorrect practices, such as harvesting soybeans while the plants are still green and planting continuously throughout the year without a break. ‘Rice planting currently never stops because there is plenty of rain; they can plant three or even four times a year without any pause. The impact is that soil fertility declines, with pH levels dropping below 4,’ he explained. KDM proposed that farmers adopt intercropping methods to maintain soil fertility. ‘Through the Agriculture Office, planting soybeans and peanuts once a year must be done to preserve soil fertility, because without it, the soil becomes very heavy,’ he stated. Meanwhile, the President’s Special Envoy for Climate and Energy, Hashim Sujono Djojohadikusumo, noted that Indonesia is a major importer of soybeans from Brazil, Argentina, and the United States, transactions that must be paid in US dollars. By targeting self-sufficiency, Indonesia will no longer depend on soybean imports, potentially allowing Indonesians to enjoy tofu and tempeh at lower prices. President Prabowo has set a target for soybean planting in Indonesia to reach one million hectares so that self-sufficiency can be achieved within the next two to three years. To realise this target, the government will distribute superior seeds to all Indonesian farmers. At the same location, Mulyadi, an advisor to the Bareng Bareng Sugih (BBS) Cooperative, added that the soybean planting programme is a strategic step to promote food independence and improve farmers’ welfare. He expressed hope that Indramayu Regency would become one of the nation’s food barns.