Bakery Shifts to Cassava
23 October 2014 20:54 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Bakery now begins shifting its preference to cassava, according to Head of Indonesia Bakery Association Chris Hardijaya. "Cassava can be planted in any places, given proper caring and processing. It can be highly beneficial," said Chris.
Cassava processing factories are set to be built in Sumatra and Java with the total investment of Rp15-20 billion each. "With the factories, cassava industry will gain more productivity and added values," said Chris.
However, cassava at the moment is still far from industrial reach as the price is relatively expensive. Cassava price ranges in between Rp6,000-8,000 per kilogram, due to the manual planting and farmer's inconsistency.
Therefore, a more advanced technology is needed to boost the production and drop the price. "We aim at increasing productivity from 7 tons per acre to 30 tons per acre," said Chris.
YOLANDA RYAN ARMINDYA