The Minister Of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo, Says Sago Will Be A Great Commodity For The Papuan And Hopes West Papua To Become The Producer Of High-Quality Sago.
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The world knows Papua and West Papua from their unbelievably beautiful tourist destinations, such as Raja Ampat, Sentani Lake, and Lorentz National Park. Besides improving tourism, the government of Indonesia is now pushing West Papua forward in its agriculture. One of them is by encouraging West Papua to produce high-quality sago. The expectation was delivered by the Minister of Agriculture.
Encourage West Papua to be a Producer of Quality Sago
The Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo, encourages West Papua province to become the producer of high-quality sago in Indonesia. Syahrul said that sago is the main commodity for citizens in West Papua.
Sago also becomes one of the staple foods of Papuans. When visiting sago farming in Manokwari, West Papua, Syahrul stated that sago is one of the subjects they are dealing with, and the concept will be arranged with the Task Executor’s Governor in a short time.
Just like rice, sago will be a great commodity for the Papuan. So, sago should be the locomotive of Indonesian agriculture thanks to the fertile area of Papua and West Papua. Besides sago, several local commodities grow in the area. This is something that is being prepared to meet the national food needs.
In late October, Syahrul said he had met and conducted a meeting with all his regents. The meeting was meant to prepare Papuan food availability as well as to contribute to the national food supply.
This step is under President Joko Widodo’s instruction to use the agriculture sector as economic and life support for Indonesian in the future. According to Syahrul, the development of various agricultural commodities in West Papua has been run–especially corn commodity was started last year.
The Role of Sago in the Life of People in Papua
Sago has become one of the staple foods for people in Papua since not all areas are suitable for rice cultivation. So, why should Papuan produce high-quality sago?
The productivity of sago is higher than other carbohydrate-producing plants, such as sweet potato, corn, and rice. One sago tree can produce 231 to 329 kilograms of sago starch. The energy content of sago is not much different from corn and rice.
Sago is gluten-free and has a low glycemic index. Moreover, more than 90% of sago trees are in Indonesia–in Papua and West Papua. Besides, sago is an Indonesian native plant. By encouraging West Papua to produce higher quality and quantity, the food stability and the region’s economy will improve.
As we all know, when producing sago to be able to consume it, there are several steps to take. The steps include tapping sago, squeezing sago, packing, and the last is selling. Sago can also be processed into different foods. Some are sinoli or rolled sago, papeda, and brown sugar sago.
Believed as a Plant in Human Incarnation, Sago Is Respected by Papuans
Many tribes in Papua and West Papua know mythology that sago is a human incarnation with various stories and names. Humans sacrificed themselves in order to feed their descendants.
This belief can be seen in the Sentani people. They believe their ancestor who came out of the earth was not alone but followed by brothers. One of them was believed to be turning into sago.
An anthropologist, Mansoben, said the indigenous people of Sentani knew pots made of clay. These pots were easily found in the Lake Sentani area. The indigenous people were very skilled at processing sago into papeda.
Meanwhile, Papuans living in Asmat didn’t recognize the clay pots. For that, Asmat people often enjoyed sago plates and balls that were burned and grated. Mansoben added that sago is the core of various coastal and lowland Papua indigenous rituals.
Besides playing the role of Papuan’s staple food, sago also has a special place in the heart of people in Papua and West Papua. As the biggest sago producer, hopefully, Papua and West Papua can produce high-quality sago and become the ace of this sector.
