Japan and Korea are strong because they consume their own production. Do not buy other countries' products but buy our own farmers' products.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Strengthening the production of local food crops, such as sorghum, could help cut Indonesia's dependence on imported foods, the Director General of Food Crops at the Ministry of Agriculture, Suwandi, has said.

There are two ways to handle the global food crisis: strengthening the production capacity of local food crops and diversifying the production and consumption of local food crops.

"Japan and Korea are strong because they consume their own production. Do not buy other countries' products but buy our own farmers' products," he emphasized in a statement issued in Jakarta on Thursday.

Indonesia currently relies on imports of wheat, which is processed into noodles and bread that serve as alternatives to the main staple—rice. Several local food crops have the potential to become wheat substitutes, including cassava, sorghum, sago, sweet potato, taro, and others, Suwandi said.

The ministry is intensifying the expansion of sorghum production since it has the closest resemblance to wheat, he informed. In addition, sorghum can be easily cultivated on infertile land.

"The advantage of sorghum is that once planted, it can be squeezed twice. It can be harvested three times a year with one planting period," Suwandi said.

Meanwhile, a field agricultural instructor from Lamongan district, East Java, Esti Fauziah, said that sorghum does not require much preparation before planting.

"Even on rocky soil, sorghum can grow well. Unlike rice, which requires a lot of water," she added.

Based on data from the Directorate General of Food Crops, sorghum plantations are mostly spread across East Nusa Tenggara and West Nusa Tenggara, with their productivity ranging from 3–4 tons per hectare.

Meanwhile, in Central Java and East Java, sorghum productivity has reached 4–5 tons per hectare. The total sorghum acreage in the entire region has reached about 15 thousand hectares.

Acting Deputy for Food Availability and Stabilization at the National Food Agency, Risfaheri, said that all Indonesian local food crops have the potential to strengthen domestic food security, while reducing dependence on imported wheat.

Currently, Indonesia's wheat imports are pegged at around 11 million tons per year.

However, Risfaheri said, sorghum flour or other local food flours do not contain gluten. This can be circumvented with food technology.

"Perhaps researchers can engineer our food commodities to have the ability to rise and stretch, just like wheat," the acting deputy added.

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Translator: Aditya Ramadhan, Resinta S
Editor: Sri Haryati
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