DELI SERDANG | INDATANEWS.COM - Deputy Regent of Deli Serdang Lom Lom Suwondo SS has called on Pondok Pesantren Al-Hidayah in Sei Mencirim Village, Kutalimbaru District, to expand its shallot cultivation as part of efforts to strengthen food security and help curb inflation in the region.
Lom Lom made the call on Saturday, September 12, 2026, when he joined Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) Commission XIII Deputy Chairman
Sugiat Santoso to launch shallot planting at the
Pondok Pesantren Al-Hidayah complex. The activity is part of efforts to optimize productive land, particularly around Islamic boarding schools, so that it can contribute to food self-sufficiency and local economic development.
Lom Lom welcomed the initiative by Pondok Pesantren Al-Hidayah to utilize its available land for productive activities. He said the regional government continues to encourage residents and various institutions to cultivate available land rather than leave it idle.
"We have instructed district heads that all available land should be cultivated. No land should be left idle, even if only eggplants are planted on it," he stressed.
According to Lom Lom, shallots and chilies are among the two agricultural commodities receiving particular attention from the government because fluctuations in their prices can affect the inflation rate. For this reason, the regional government regularly coordinates with the central government to monitor price developments while ensuring the availability of these commodities for the public.
He said Islamic boarding schools have significant potential to contribute to
food security. In addition to having available land, these institutions also have human resources who can participate in agricultural activities. At the same time, such activities can serve as practical learning opportunities for students.
Plans to Expand Cultivation Areas
Lom Lom explained that
Pondok Pesantren Al-Hidayah currently has approximately five hectares of land. The regional government plans to support the gradual expansion and utilization of the land until it reaches a total area of around 20 hectares.
The effort is not merely aimed at increasing the size of cultivated land but also at improving productivity. Through proper land management and assistance from agricultural experts, he expressed hope that shallot cultivation at the boarding school could achieve optimal yields.
"Hopefully, together with the scholars and through our collective efforts, we can improve the cultivation ratio, which normally stands at one to 10, perhaps to one to 20," he said.
Head of Pondok Pesantren Al-Hidayah Khairul Ghazali said the boarding school already has experience in shallot cultivation. The experience was gained during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the institution received support from Bank Indonesia to develop its agricultural activities.
"During the Covid period, I had already cultivated shallots under the direct guidance of Bank Indonesia, and it was successful. We used a system guided by
shallot cultivation experts engaged by Bank Indonesia," he said.
Khairul explained that this experience provides an important foundation for the boarding school to resume shallot cultivation. This time, the initiative is not solely focused on agricultural activities but also on the boarding school's contribution to strengthening food security and stabilizing the prices of agricultural commodities that influence inflation.
The boarding school management hopes the program can develop sustainably and provide greater benefits for both the institution and the surrounding community.
EXPERIENCE IN SHALLOT CULTIVATION: Head of Pondok Pesantren Al-Hidayah Khairul Ghazali explains the boarding school's experience in cultivating shallots with support and technical assistance from Bank Indonesia. (PHOTO: Edi Saputra)
Sugar Palm Cultivation Supports Environmental Protection
In addition to shallot cultivation, Pondok Pesantren Al-Hidayah is also developing sugar palm cultivation. Khairul explained that the plants serve not only as economically valuable crops but also as part of the institution's environmental conservation efforts.
Thousands of sugar palm trees have already been planted on the boarding school's grounds. As the plantations have developed, their produce is now being processed into various value-added products, including block sugar, palm sugar and kolang-kaling, a traditional Indonesian food made from sugar palm fruit.
The development of sugar palm cultivation demonstrates the boarding school's effort to integrate food security, environmental protection and community economic empowerment. Through this approach to land utilization, new economic opportunities can be created while ecological sustainability around the boarding school is maintained.
"We hope for the support of all parties because this initiative is intended for the younger generation, the independence of the boarding school, and the people of Sei Mencirim Village in Kutalimbaru District," he said.
Kurnia Hadi, head of the regional task force of the Indonesian Police's Densus 88 counterterrorism unit, also expressed his support for the empowerment program developed by Pondok Pesantren Al-Hidayah. In his view, efforts to empower communities through food security initiatives are relevant to Densus 88's mentoring and reintegration programs for former terrorism prisoners.
According to Kurnia, initiatives that provide people with skills and economic opportunities can contribute to strengthening their independence. He expressed hope that the various programs at
Pondok Pesantren Al-Hidayah would continue to expand and deliver greater benefits to the community.
PROMOTING FURTHER PROCESSING OF SHALLOT HARVESTS: Deputy Chairman of Commission XIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives Sugiat Santoso calls for further processing of shallot harvests to create higher-value products and increase revenues for the boarding school and the surrounding community. (PHOTO: Edi Saputra)
Driving Agricultural Product Processing
Deputy Chairman of Commission XIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Sugiat Santoso, described the development of shallot cultivation at Pondok Pesantren Al-Hidayah as a strategic step toward strengthening national food security and food self-sufficiency.
Sugiat said achieving food self-sufficiency requires the involvement of all segments of society. Islamic boarding schools and educational institutions have an important role because they can utilize available land while involving students in productive activities.
"If all non-state educational institutions did what Mr. Khairul Ghazali is doing here, namely utilizing available land for food security, I am convinced that the government's goals could be achieved more quickly," he said.
He also stressed that agricultural development should not stop at production and the sale of raw commodities. Farmers and land managers must also promote downstream processing so that agricultural products generate greater added value.
"The products should not simply be sold as raw commodities. For example, if shallots are processed into fried shallots and attractively packaged, their value will naturally be much higher," he said.
According to Sugiat, processing shallots into ready-to-consume products could create new business opportunities for the boarding school and the surrounding community. In addition to increasing sales value, downstream processing could create jobs and strengthen local sources of income.
Sugiat also praised the development of sugar palm cultivation at Pondok Pesantren Al-Hidayah. He viewed it as an example of how agricultural activities can be integrated with environmental conservation and community economic empowerment.
He pledged to support collaboration in developing
Pondok Pesantren Al-Hidayah through political support, budgetary resources, institutional networks and cooperation with various stakeholders. Such collaboration, he said, should help strengthen the boarding school's capacity to develop its agricultural and economic potential.
"We hope our presence here can be beneficial for this boarding school, both in terms of policy and budgetary support, as well as through networks and other forms of cooperation," he concluded.
Also attending the event were Asniar Lom Lom Suwondo, special adviser to the
Deli Serdang PKK Movement team; Regent's Special Adviser for Economic, Financial and Development Affairs Misran Sihaloho; and Head of the Agriculture Office Elinasari Nasution.
The development of shallot and sugar palm cultivation at Pondok Pesantren Al-Hidayah is expected to serve as an example of productive land utilization that combines food security, inflation control, economic empowerment and environmental protection. With support from the government and various other stakeholders, the utilization of the boarding school's land is expected to continue expanding and benefit both its students and the people of Sei Mencirim Village. (IDNC)
REPORTER:
Edi Saputra | EDITOR:
Fik Sagala