REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Indonesian Government is to provide 60,000 hectares of land to grow garlic to increase the country's production of that commodity. 

"Currently we need to import no more than 500,000 tons of garlic a year. An additional plantation of 60,000 hectares of land for plantation would be needed to meet the requirement," Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman said here on Monday. 

Temanggung in Central Java is one of potential area for garlic plantations, Amran said after a meeting with President Joko Widodo to discuss food price stability during the Islamic fasting month of Ramadhan.

In 2016, the country had only 150 hectares of garlic plantations, but currently the plantations have expanded to more than 1,000 hectares, he said.

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"Next year we hope to expand the plantations to 5,000 - 10,000 hectares," he said. 

The minister said the government could provide up to 60,000 hectares of land suitable for garlic plantations.

In 2017, the ministry hoped to expand garlic plantations in Temanggung to 800 hectares and to 10,000 hectares in 2018 and 20,000 hectares in 2019.

The ministry also provided aid program of Rp15 billion for farmers to grow garlic in Temanggung.

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