Harvest of Hope: Lanud Abdurachman Saleh’s Grand Sugarcane Festival Marks a New Era of Synergy for Food and Energy Sovereignty

 

Harvest of Hope: Lanud Abdurachman Saleh’s Grand Sugarcane Festival Marks a New Era of Synergy for Food and Energy Sovereignty

MALANG | JATIMSATUNEWS.COM:Lanud Abdurachman Saleh.
A sweeping wave of optimism emerged from the lush green fields of Lanud Abdurachman Saleh on Tuesday (December 3, 2025), where around 150 participants from the central government, parliament, academia, industry, the Indonesian Air Force, and farming communities joined hands in a grand Sugarcane Harvest Festival. The event, held under the multi-helix collaboration theme “The Indonesian Air Force Realizes Food and Energy Sovereignty: Implementing Geospatial Technology to Strengthen National Food Security Toward a Green Energy and Environment”, was more than a harvest celebration—it was a testament to collective determination to build a more self-reliant Indonesia in food and energy.

In his remarks, Commander of Lanud Abdurachman Saleh, Marsma TNI Reza R.R. Sastranegara, S.Sos., M.A.P., MNSS, emphasized the Indonesian Air Force’s commitment not only as a guardian of national airspace but also as an agent of transformation in food security. Through geospatial technology, strengthened production units, and the downstream development of sugarcane into biofuel products, Lanud Abdurachman Saleh demonstrates how precision agriculture can thrive alongside national defense duties.
“Synergy between government, industry, academia, communities, farmers, and the Indonesian Air Force is the key to securing a self-reliant future for our nation,” he asserted.

Also present were high-ranking officials, including Aster Kasau Marsda TNI Dr. Palito Sitorus and Commission VI DPR RI member Dr. Rieke Diah Pitaloka, who stressed the importance of reinforcing the national sugarcane ecosystem and integrating food–energy policy data as a strategic foundation for the nation. Representatives from Bappenas, PT Sinergi Gula Nusantara, Pertamina NRE, and several ministries echoed the vision that sugar and bioethanol self-sufficiency is attainable through land modernization, research, farmer assistance, and cross-sector collaboration.

The event featured the screening of a Pusgeosau video, distribution of seeds and fertilizers, a ceremonial sugarcane harvest, and a tour of the greenhouse—creating a valuable technical dialogue space for developing integrated farming models that could be replicated across other Indonesian Air Force units.

This Grand Harvest stood as a powerful symbol of optimism: that food and energy sovereignty is not just discourse but a tangible movement rooted in the land, amplified through collaboration, and reaped for the prosperity of the people. With the pioneering efforts at Lanud Abdurachman Saleh, integrated farming models and sugarcane downstream innovations are expected to expand across other units and regions—strengthening confidence that Indonesia can stand firm, self-sufficient, green, and sovereign.