Indonesia is the fourth-largest producer of cassava or cassava in the world after Nigeria, Thailand, and Brazil. The amount produced per year by Nigeria is around 57 million tons. Followed by Thailand with a range of 30 million tons, then Brazil with a range of 23 million tons. Indonesia produces around 20-21 million tons of cassava.
Indonesia in Position 4 Producing Cassava
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Even though in the last three years Indonesia is in the fourth position as the largest producer of cassava, the fact is that Indonesia has also beaten Brazil in producing cassava.
However, what is still a dilemma for the community is about imported cassava from other countries such as Thailand.
Potential and utilization of cassava
According to researchers from the Center for Agricultural Biotechnology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), a sweet potato specialist, Ahmad Fathi, the need for basic food ingredients such as flour to make various snacks is also getting higher in Indonesia. “Hence, the import of cassava is to meet the needs of tapioca (flour from sweet potatoes).
Right here, a lot of food consumption is made from cassava, but sometimes the results of cassava are not enough, “said Thoni recently. The use of cassava is also diverse, namely as a staple food it can also be used for food, animal feed, bioethanol, and several other industries including packaging.
Benefits of Cassava in Indonesia
Even LIPI together with several SMEs in managing food made from cassava mocraf, for example, one of them is made into noodles. That is promising, market demand is increasing, it’s just that the constraints for SMEs are an unstable supply of sweet potatoes and prices too, “he said.
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Almost all parts of cassava can be used
- The leaves can be taken for embryos or genes other than of course cooking.
- Not only the meat, but the skin can also be used.
- The stems can be used to multiply the plant.
- In addition, cassava plants can be cultivated in almost all regions of Indonesia.
- Included in sub-optimal land, as well as more resistant to drought.
Local Food Source of Cassava
Many people think that cassava is an inferior food. However, according to Thoni, that is a mindset that must be changed. Cassava should no longer be a local food source product for food security but can be used as a quality food ingredient.
If I’m even interested in discussing cassava about how the competitiveness of cassava is for production and strengthening it as a quality food ingredient, “said Thoni. Therefore, LIPI has developed a superior variety of cassava that contains beta-carotene with the name Carvita 25, which will be displayed together with rice. gogo, at the Indonesia Science Expo by LIPI in BSD Tangerang, 22-26 October 2021.
Cassava Production Opportunities in Indonesia
So what we want is to find delicious cassava. Big yams, have beta-carotene, have a nice yellow color, also if possible there will be vitamins, “he said. Therefore, this is a great opportunity for farmers in Indonesia if they want to take part in the production of cassava or cassava as a producer of processed and even processed products. The main ingredients for making various foods, such as tapioca flour and mocraf, or other food creations.
