March 07th, 2026
Cirebon's First Sorghum Harvest Strengthens Food Security
Cirebon, Beritasatu.com — The government continues its efforts to strengthen national food security amidst global geopolitical challenges. One step taken is to encourage the development of sorghum as an alternative food source.
This initiative was realized through the first sorghum harvest at the Plumbon Rice and Secondary Crops Seed Center (UPTD) Service Unit, Cirebon Regency, West Java.
West Java Deputy Governor Erwan Setiawan stated that sorghum has many advantages because it can be used as a food substitute for rice and wheat. Furthermore, this crop also has the potential to be developed into various derivative products with economic value.
"Through innovative processing technology, PT Dirgantara Indonesia, together with the West Java Provincial Government, is promoting the use of sorghum to produce various products such as flour, sugar, and even biomass energy sources and bioethanol," Erwan said on Saturday (March 7, 2026).
Erwan explained that sorghum is a multipurpose crop because almost all parts of the plant can be used for various purposes.
"The sorghum we harvested was planted about three months ago on 1.5 hectares of land and is now ready for harvest. Up to three harvests can be done in one planting. The seeds can be an alternative food source, the stalks can be processed into bioethanol or biomass, and the leaves can be used as animal feed," he explained.
He added that the potential for sorghum production is quite large. From one harvest, the stalks can produce around 10 to 15 tons, while the seeds are estimated to reach around 30 tons. "Even the seeds from this harvest can be used for planting on land up to around 150 hectares," he added.
Meanwhile, Gita Amperiawan, President Director of PT Dirgantara Indonesia, emphasized that food security is a fundamental need that must be met, regardless of the ever-changing global geopolitical conditions.
"Food security is mandatory, regardless of global geopolitics or anything else. With fertile agricultural land, it's up to us at PTDI to add value through technology. With this technology, we can process sorghum into marketable products, both nationally and globally," he said.
The government hopes that sorghum cultivation can continue to expand to various regions in Indonesia. This way, this commodity is expected to strengthen national food security while reducing dependence on food imports.
Source: https://www.beritasatu.com/jabar/2973758/panen-perdana-sorgum-di-cirebon-perkuat-ketahanan-pangan