PAPUAAROUND – For the indigenous people of the Moi Sorong Tribe of West Papua, sago is the main food source because it can be processed as a substitute for rice.
Sago trees (Metroxylon sp) grow in the Sorong area and for generations this plant has been cultivated and used as a source of daily food by the local community.
For example, Papeda is one of the sago-based foods that is not only popular among the indigenous people of Sorong, but also among the Indonesians living in the area.
The sustainable management and use of sago trees is consistent with the national movement to control food inflation, which is now being scaled up by the government to deal with future crises.
Sustainable sago management is carried out by the MOI Tribal Indigenous people in Kalayas Village, Sorong Regency, which is driven by PT Kilang Pertamina Internasional Refinery Unit VII Kasim.
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Sago Management Center
The Sago Management Center located in Klayas Village, Sorong Regency, is a BUMN Community Empowerment Program in 2021.
The Director of Operations of the BUMN, Didik Bahagia, said that the central management of sago in Kampung Klayas is an empowerment program for the economic independence of the community.
The management of the Central Sago of Klayas Village is the government’s effort to advance the community’s economy in a sustainable manner.
The Sago Management Center aims to make it easier for people who use human labor in the forest, and are now managed centrally by machines. These processed products are not only faster, but offer a higher quality product.
In addition, the dregs of sago management are not thrown away, but are used as a mushroom growing medium that is efficacious for local people to consume.
Since sago trees are a food source for the local people, they are not only harvested for processing but also replanted for continuous maintenance.
This sago management place is a circular economy system or a circular and sustainable economic system with added value for the community.
As a result of BPPT mapping in 2015, the potential of sago in Sorong province is estimated to be 311,000 ha spread across 8 districts, with a potential for sago starch of 2.9 million tons.
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Preserving sago
Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo urged the people of West Papua to continue accepting sago plants as food reserves.
“Sago is an amazing plant given by God and has been around for a long time to fill local food and should not be abandoned,” he said in Manokwari, West Papua. Sago plays an important role in the provision of food, improving food safety in West Papua. Its presence also contributes significantly to national food security.
He emphasized the consumption of rice, sago and tubers as a source of carbohydrates that the body needs to stay strong and healthy.
Therefore, the sago plant is used to improve food security in the West Papua region. The Ministry of Agriculture has developed a more detailed concept of sago-based food security with the Deputy Governor of West Papua, Paulus Waterpoe.
In accordance with President Joko Widodo’s direction, the agricultural sector must support the livelihood economy of people throughout Indonesia. Therefore, the Government of West Papua is conducting a tree planting campaign to strengthen food security in preparation for the future food crisis.
West Papua has a large area of agricultural land to grow food. Improving food security in West Papua also means improving national food security.
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