Sorghum can be an alternative to wheat so sorghum flour can be used in processed foods such as bread, BRIN head Laksana Tri Handoko said at the commemoration of the 27th National Technology Awakening Day (Hakteknas) in Cibinong, West Java, on Wednesday.
A bread containing up to 15 percent sorghum flour would still taste delicious, he added.
In agriculture, the agency has undertaken several research projects to produce superior wheat varieties, however, this still needs to be optimized to produce satisfactory results.
“A tropical wheat variety actually exists, but it (its development) is not yet optimal," he informed.
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Ukraine is one of the wheat suppliers to Indonesia, but the country is currently reducing exports to other countries, and this is posing a problem for Indonesia.
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has disrupted the global wheat supply, considering Ukraine is the fifth largest wheat exporter in the world, while Russia is the largest exporter of wheat globally.
BRIN is committed to supporting the sovereignty of food and energy through research and innovation, such as the optimization of food production, production of superior varieties, and transition to sustainable energy.
One of the locations fit for sorghum farming is East Sumba district, East Nusa Tenggara, with the acreage pegged at 60 hectares.
The sorghum yield in East Sumba is 5 tons per hectare. Farmers in the district earn an income of around Rp50 million per hectare per year or more than Rp4 million per month.
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Translator: Martha H S, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Suharto
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