Jakarta, hitclubapk3 Indonesia
—
Ministry of Agriculture (
Ministry of Agriculture
) prepare planting trials
sorghum
covering an area of 5,000 hectares (ha) starting next year.
Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman said the trial was prepared based on the potential success of sorghum in a number of areas.
“We are preparing 5,000 ha of sorghum trials,” said Amran at the Parliament Complex, Central Jakarta, Monday (24/11).
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According to him, Indonesia has agro-climatic conditions that are similar to countries that have succeeded in developing wheat, so this success is the basis for encouraging the development of other alternative commodities, including sorghum.
The Ministry of Agriculture, continued Amran, has sent delegations to a number of countries and accompanied President Prabowo Subianto on a visit to Jordan, which also demonstrated the success of wheat cultivation in the region.
Because of this, the government is now preparing two strategic commodities, wheat and sorghum, each with a trial plan covering an area of 5,000 hectares.
“Actually, our consideration is why wheat? Because it has been successful. With a production of 9 tonnes. And our agro-climate is similar,” he added.
He confirmed that this trial would use the APBN budget and would be carried out in several regions, both on Java and outside Java.
“We have mapped it on the island of Java, some outside Java. We have tried it in NTT and it was successful. Yes, we will determine the land later, but on the island of Java it is partly because our farmers in Java are quite skilled,” said Amran.
The sorghum planting trial is targeted to begin in 2026.
On the same occasion, Chairman of Commission IV DPR RI Titiek Soeharto welcomed this plan and asked for sorghum production to continue to be increased considering its broad benefits.
“We ask that sorghum production be increased because, one, it is healthier,
gluten free,
“Then he also plants it in his area, he doesn’t choose anything, he can plant it in the lowlands,” he said.
Titiek assesses that sorghum can be a more sustainable food and energy raw material option, including as a raw material for bioethanol.
He hopes that the development of sorghum can reduce Indonesia’s dependence on wheat imports.
“So in the future, slowly the noodles will not be made from wheat, but the need for wheat imports will be reduced, which is so large, we will switch to sorghum,” he said.
Sorghum was previously projected to be an alternative strategic commodity to replace wheat and corn amidst the threat of a global food crisis.
Sorghum has the advantage of being a plant that is drought resistant, versatile, gluten-free, and can be used for food, feed and bioethanol.
Sorghum plants have also been cultivated for a long time in a number of areas such as Pati, Demak, Wonogiri, Grobogan, Gunungkidul, Kulon Progo, Lamongan, Bojonegoro, Tuban, Probolinggo, NTB and NTT.
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