"Cassava development has strong prospects since it is one of Indonesia's strategic food commodities," he said during the inauguration of the National Cassava Center at the University of Lampung, according to a press statement on Wednesday.
With a target productivity of 60 tons per hectare, cassava is expected to become a strategic raw material that strengthens national competitiveness while driving economic growth based on local resources, he noted.
The increase in cassava prices from around Rp600–700 (around US$0,03) per kilogram last year to approximately Rp2,200 (around US$0,12) per kilogram today opens up significant opportunities to improve farmers' welfare.
"This is the right time to improve the welfare of our cassava farmers," Pambudi said.
On the occasion, Lampung Governor Rahmat Mirzani Djausal said that over 70 percent of national cassava production originates from Lampung.
Eight of the province's 15 districts serve as major cassava-producing areas, supported by a well-established tapioca industry.
During the minister's visit to inaugurate the National Cassava Center, the governor expressed hope that the research center would support the achievement of national food security goals, as outlined in the 2025–2029 National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN).
The University of Lampung's National Cassava Center was established as a center of excellence to strengthen cassava research, develop the commodity's value chain from upstream to downstream, and foster collaboration among the research community, industry, and the government.
In the future, the center will also formulate a market-oriented and innovation-driven roadmap for national cassava development.
University of Lampung Rector Lusmeilia Afriani underscored the National Cassava Center's commitment to ensuring that research and innovation directly benefit farmers through a range of assistance programs.
"We also have mobile units to assist farmers across Lampung Province. We aim to ensure that farmers are the primary beneficiaries of all the innovations being developed," she emphasized.
Through collaboration among the central and regional governments, universities, industry, and farmers, the National Cassava Center is expected to reinforce Lampung's role as Indonesia's cassava hub while enhancing the country's global competitiveness in the commodity.
Related news: Indonesia launches National Cassava Center to boost productivity
Translator: M Baqir Idrus A, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Bayu Prasetyo
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