East Sumba – Chief of Staff to the President of the Republic of Indonesia Moeldoko said he was optimistic that Sumba would soon be known as one of the Sorghum main producers. He himself visited the sorghum cultivation area in Laipori Village, East Sumba Regency, NTT, on Thursday (6/1).
“Sumba has great potential to develop Sorghum plantations with its primarily dry land. I’m sure Sumba will become a home and a big producer of Sorghum in the country,” said Moeldoko.
According to him, people living in the island of Sumba have been familiar with the plant. Sorghum grain was easily found and widely consumed in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). The constant heat and dry land in the area allowed the plant to flourish.
“The main question is why sorghum production and consumption cannot thrive here now. As a response to that, the Ministry of Agriculture has rolled out an education program for farmers to use their land to plant sorghum, which is projected to become a national food reserve,” said Moeldoko.
Moeldoko who is also the chairman of theThe Indonesian Farmers Association (HKTI) assessed that sorghum is rich in carbohydrates, able to improve nutrition and overcome stunting problems in the region. The plant was also able to adapt to changing climate conditions. “Sorghum also produces ethanol which can be used for fuel mixture,” continued the former TNI Commander.
Meanwhile, Director of Cereal Grain Food at the Ministry of Agriculture Ismail Wahab said the Ministry of Agriculture paid serious attention to the development of sorghum in the country. This year alone, the sorghum development program covered a total of 15 thousand hectares widely spread across the country.
“In the near future, we will plant sorghum on a 4,000 hectare land in Mamuru sub-district, Central Sumba. This will be the starting point for the successful development of sorghum on the island of Sumba,” said Ismail.
