RRI.CO.ID, Brebes - The success of shallot downstreaming in Brebes Regency, Central Java, has received high appreciation from Commission IV of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI). The integrated processing model developed by farmers is considered not only to strengthen the national food stock but also to bring a significant increase in added value at the farming level, which ultimately supports national food security.

Chairperson of Commission IV of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Siti Hediati Hariyadi, commonly known as Titiek Soeharto, expressed her pride in seeing Indonesian shallots surpassing domestic needs and being able to enter the export market. "Notably, our shallot production is surpassing domestic needs, and we can export it. We can export to Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore," Titiek Soeharto stated during her visit to the shallot processing factory owned by PT Sinergi Brebes Inovatif (Sidomakmur Farmers Group), on Monday, 23 February 2026.

According to Titiek, downstream processing is a strategic step because it can significantly increase farmers' income. She highlighted the large profit margin from shallot cultivation in Brebes. "Earlier, the farmer said the investment was 140 million, and the yield was 350 million per hectare. So the profit is substantial. The cost was 140 million, while the return was 350 million." So, that means the profit is more than half, doesn't it?" she said.

With production costs of around Rp140 million per hectare and revenues reaching Rp350 million, there is a potential net profit of around Rp210 million per hectare. These figures indicate that downstream processing is not just a price stabilization strategy, but also a practical tool for improving farmers' welfare.

Similarly, the Secretary General of the National Food Agency (Bapanas), Sarwo Edhy, who accompanied the working visit of Commission IV of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), emphasized that downstreaming is an important part of the policy to strengthen national food reserves and stability.

"The National Food Agency fully supports this downstream effort because it is very effective in maintaining price stability at the farmer level." In line with what the Head of Bapanas conveyed, our red onion commodity is currently self-sufficient, and we are even able to export it to neighboring countries," Sarwo conveyed.

Sarwo added that the directive from the Head of Bapanas, Andi Amran Sulaiman, emphasized that commodities that have achieved self-sufficiency must be strengthened through downstream processing and the expansion of export markets to provide maximum value addition for farmers and to strengthen national food security.

Data from the National Food Balance Projection as of February 2026 records national shallot production in 2025 reaching 1.43 million tons, while domestic consumption needs amount to 1.23 million tons. This surplus allows Indonesia to export 1,560 tons of shallots to the global market.

Innovation in Brebes now no longer stops at the sale of fresh onions. Derivative products such as fried shallots and red onion paste have been produced in a modern way. In fact, the red onion paste has been exported to Saudi Arabia as a raw material for Indonesian pilgrims' cooking spices, expanding the presence of national horticultural products in the international market.

Seeing the promising prospects, Commission IV of the Indonesian House of Representatives encourages the integrated red onion center model like in Brebes to be replicated in other regions. "I hope that not only Brebes has been the red onion center all this time. But it can be developed in other areas so that our exports can also increase," Titiek said.

In a dialog with farmers, the working visit delegation also noted several strategic needs to maintain production sustainability, including strengthening storage facilities, stabilizing fertilizer supply, and supporting superior seeds.