Agriculture Ministry targets garlic self-sufficiency in three years

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Agriculture is targeting garlic self-sufficiency within three years through the development of planting land and the strengthening of nurseries.

"We need at least three to four years to achieve this (garlic) self-sufficiency," Deputy Minister of Agriculture Sudaryono said on Wednesday.

He noted that the target aims to reduce dependence on garlic imports, which currently still account for more than 90 percent of national demand.

According to him, the land required to achieve garlic self-sufficiency is estimated at around 100,000 hectares, considered smaller than the land needed to achieve rice self-sufficiency, which reaches millions of hectares.

He then disclosed that the main obstacle to the program is the provision of suitable land and the availability of large quantities of seeds.

Sudaryono explained that garlic cultivation is limited to certain regions, as it requires highland areas with specific agro-climatic conditions.

At present, garlic cultivation centers have been established in several areas, including Sembalun in West Nusa Tenggara, Temanggung in Central Java, and Humbang Hasundutan in North Sumatra.

However, beyond land availability, seed supply remains the primary obstacle to achieving self-sufficiency, as the seed volumes required to develop 100,000 hectares cannot be produced in a short period.

To support the acceleration of this program, the government is preparing 5,000 hectares of garlic nurseries by 2026 using the State Budget, along with participation from State-owned enterprises (SOEs) and the private sector to develop around 20,000 hectares to reach the national target of 100,000 hectares of garlic plantations.

Sudaryono said the cost of garlic nurseries is reaching Rp120 million (US$6,500) per hectare, with the seed component costing around Rp75 million (US$4,116) per hectare.

To address the high cost of seeds, the ministry provides seed loans to farmers. After harvest, farmers return one and a half times the initial seed allocation, while keeping the rest for sale. The returned seeds are redistributed to expand national garlic production.

In this program, Perum Bulog and ID Food will act as offtakers of the seed, while PT Perkebunan Nusantara (PTPN) is involved in cultivation activities and land provision.

The Ministry of Agriculture is also exploring the use of underutilized highland land, including former tea plantations, to expand garlic cultivation.

Sudaryono stated that garlic imports are expected to start declining by mid-next year as seed supplies and domestic production increase.

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Translator: Aria Ananda, Resinta Sulistiyandari

Editor: Azis Kurmala

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