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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Conflict & Security

Indonesian Military Manages 2.5 Million Hectares for Food Security

From Tempo · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • The Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) manages 2.5 million hectares of land for agricultural and plantation purposes, supporting food security.
  • This land is managed jointly with the Ministry of Defense, local governments, and communities, with the TNI acting as a mentor providing training.
  • The TNI clarified that community harvests are included in their records for communication purposes, emphasizing their supportive role rather than claiming ownership.

The Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) is actively managing 2.5 million hectares of land dedicated to agriculture and plantations, a significant effort to bolster national food security. This extensive land management program is a collaborative endeavor, involving the Ministry of Defense, local governments, and community participation. The TNI's role extends beyond land stewardship; it acts as a crucial mentor, providing communities with comprehensive training in land management, cultivation techniques, harvesting, and distribution processes.

So, if we talk about the total overall, both the community land that we support and the TNI land, our records reach around 2 million hectares.

— Brigadier General Muhammad NasHead of Information Center of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), explaining the total land managed.

Brigadier General Muhammad Nas, Head of the TNI Information Center, clarified that the total land under their purview, including community-supported areas, reaches approximately 2 million hectares. These lands are utilized for diverse agricultural products, with the Army focusing on rice cultivation and the Navy and Air Force concentrating on soybeans. This strategic division ensures varied crop production across different TNI branches.

Actually, it is the community in the forefront. We, the TNI, assist.

— Brigadier General Muhammad NasTNI Information Center Head clarifying the TNI's supportive role in community land management.

Nas addressed circulating information suggesting the TNI claims community agricultural yields as its own success. He explained that integrating community harvest figures into the TNI's food sustainability program is purely for record-keeping and communication. The TNI's involvement is primarily to support and assist the community, which remains the main actor in land management. "Actually, it is the community in the forefront. We, the TNI, assist," Nas stated.

It is to communicate the yields, which are intended for our joint records.

— Brigadier General Muhammad NasTNI Information Center Head explaining the purpose of including community harvest figures in their records.

This initiative is not new, having been operational for several years. A recent example highlighted the Navy's soybean harvest in Nganjuk Regency, East Java, on May 14, 2026. The event, attended by high-ranking military and government officials, showcased the TNI's commitment to national food security. Commander General Agus Subiyanto emphasized the utilization of idle land within TNI facilities and villages to enhance agricultural output.

We will utilize the idle land available in the TNI and maybe in the villages.

— General Agus SubiyantoTNI Commander stating the commitment to using available land for agricultural programs.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Tempo in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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