Hanoi (VNA) – Indonesia’s National Food Agency (Bapanas) is strengthening sorghum development in Karawang district and Bandung city, West Java province, as a model for local food development through the application of processing technology.
Sorghum is being promoted as an adaptive crop that can be processed into a variety of food products with higher economic value, Bapanas Deputy for Food Consumption Diversification and Food Safety Andriko Noto Susanto said in a recent statement.
He further noted that Bapanas is continuing to encourage food diversification based on local resources by making use of innovation and processing technology. The initiative aims to increase the added value of local food commodities while strengthening the food value chain from upstream to downstream, ensuring direct benefits for farmers and businesses.
According to Andriko, sorghum will be developed along the entire value chain. Farmers will produce the crop, which will then be purchased by micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) for processing into higher-value, ready-to-consume food products.
To support this process, Bapanas has provided a range of post-harvest processing equipment, including threshers, hullers, milling machines, dryers and other supporting tools. Thanks to this assistance, MSMEs in Karawang have been able to produce a wide variety of sorghum-based products such as porridge, crackers, flour and biscuits.
One of these products – sorghum biscuits – has already been incorporated into the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) Programme in Karawang, supplied through the Nutrition Fulfilment Service Unit (SPPG), or MBG kitchens.
Andriko noted that when local food products are included in the MBG programme, it demonstrates that they meet the necessary standards of quality, safety and supply continuity. This is clear evidence, he said, that local food can play a direct role in improving community nutrition./.
