JAKARTA – Indonesia can realize sugar self-sufficiency through the applications of biotechnology. Such applications include the processing of palm oil into sugar.
“I’ve told President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) that we shouldn’t be worried over the shortage of sugar supply. We don’t need to open sugarcane plantations in large scale. We can realize our national sugar self-sufficiency through the processing of palm oil into sugar. The sugar from palm oil has a high quality,” said Bogor University of Agriculture (IPB) Rector Prof. Dr. Arif Satria, S.P., M.Si when opening the webinar on “Palm Oil in Food: Health Issue and Market Trend”, which was organized by SEAFAST Center IPB, on Tuesday, 26 October 2021.
Arif Satria pointed out that IPB has been in cooperation with several groups to develop the technology of processing palm oil into sugar. “Currently, there has been a pilot project to produce sugar from palm oil in Sei Mangkei area, North Sumatera,” he said.
“In cooperation with a number of groups, we’ve developed biotechnology in the food sector. There has been a technology to produce sugar from palm oil. Regarding sugar from sugarcane, it’s actually the first generation technology of sugar production,” said Arif.
Looking forward, Arif hopes that they can reach a cooperation agreement with the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (GAPKI) to produce sugar from the palm oil.
According to him, the palm oil can be produced into many derivative products. IPB has conducted various researches to produce products of energy and cosmetics. “Even, the palm oil wastes can be processed to bulletproof vests, helmets, and clothes. “The latest one is the production of quality jackets from palm oil wastes,” he said.
Based on data from the Indonesian Sugar Association, Indonesia’s need of consumption sugar (white crystal sugar) this year is 3.16 million tons.
Meanwhile, the industry ministry’s agroindustry directorate general reported that Indonesia needs a total of 6.0 million tons of sugar per year, consisting of 2.7- 2.9 million tons of consumption sugar and 3 – 3.2 million tons of industrial sugar (refined sugar). (*)
Source: Majalah Sawit Indonesia | Featured image via kompasiana.com
