The Ministry of Industry continues to accelerate the downstreaming of agro-based industries, especially now encouraging innovation of porang derivative products in order to increase the added value of the commodity, both investment, exports, and employment so that it contributes greatly to national economic growth."We project that porang can become one of the leading agricultural commodities both at home and abroad. This opportunity comes because some people have switched to a healthy lifestyle by eating healthier foods,” said Plt. The Director General of Agro Industry at the Ministry of Industry, Putu Juli Ardika in Surabaya, East Java, Saturday (28/8), through a written statement.
Processed porang products are starting to be in great demand because they are low in calories, carbon, and sugar content. “I believe this porang processed product will be a healthy food choice in the future. In fact, it can also be a healthier substitute for rice because the sugar content is very low," he said.
According to Putu, the development of the porang processing industry should be a priority because it is supported by the availability of domestic raw materials and has a large enough segment in the domestic market. Therefore, harmonization efforts are needed from the upstream to downstream sectors, including to maintain the sustainability of porang productivity with quality that meets the standards of industry needs. "We will focus on increasing its downstreaming, starting from porang chips to various derivative products such as flour and rice that can be consumed by the community. In this development, we will coordinate with relevant ministries and institutions, and provide guidance to the industry so that it can be productive and competitive," he said.
His party has held direct discussions with porang processing industry players, namely PT. Asia Prima Konjac in Madiun and PT. Ambico is located in Pasuruan, East Java, in order to obtain input regarding the needs or obstacles faced by these industry players so that they can formulate appropriate policies going forward.“Yesterday, we made a working visit to the two factories to explore, especially regarding technology and innovations that need to be developed. Because this will be our product's advantage in competing in the international arena," he said. Director of PT. Asia Prima Konjac Revie Christianto said that his party produces porang chips and porang flour with a total capacity of using 80 tons of porang raw materials per day. PT. Asia Prima Konjac has exported 2,500 tons of porang chip products to China in 2020. In addition, it also has a porang area of 3.5 hectares located within the company's area."We are currently expanding to increase production capacity, from 80 tons per day to 180 tons per day in 2022 to produce porang rice and porang flour. So, later there will be two additional lines with a capacity of 50 tons per day each," said Revie.
He thanked the Ministry of Industry for fully supporting the development of the porang processing industry in the country and hoped that several policies could be implemented, for example related to guaranteeing the availability of raw materials at stable prices and quality, as well as cooperation or partnerships with porang farmers to guarantee raw materials. raw.
In addition, it is necessary to prepare standards for processed porang products and issue regulations that can support the development of the glucomannan purification industry, as well as access to effective and efficient technology for glucomannan purification. “We, as domestic investors, want to seriously develop this business. We hope that this sector will become a priority and will receive support from the government,” he said. In a separate location, the Director of PT. Ambico Johan Soedjatmiko Ishii said that research and innovation is needed for Indonesia to become a major player in porang in the global arena. PT. Ambico is one of the downstream processing industries of glucomannan flour into konyaku, shirataki rice and shirataki noodles. In addition to exporting glucomannan flour, PT. Ambico has also shipped porang, shirataki and konyaku chips. Its export destinations include the United States, Canada, France, China, Japan, and South Korea. Konyaku and shirataki have many potential health benefits such as helping to lose weight, lowering cholesterol, normalizing blood glucose levels, lowering blood pressure, and as an antitoxin.
