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Lampung – All lecturers of Food Technology, Biosystems Engineering, and Agro-Industrial Technology of Institut Teknologi Sumatera (ITERA) attended an invitation from the Lampung Center for the Assessment and Application of Technology in a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) on the Establishment of the Communication Forum and Business Meeting of Starch Business Actors and Technology Experts, on Tuesday (May 15). At the event, ITERA was given the opportunity to present the Technology of Post-Harvest Processing Equipment for Starch Resources, represented by ITERA Lecturer, Amna Citra F., S.TP., M.Sc.

Also attending were several government institutions, academics, and combined business associations, namely the Regional Research and Development Agency of Lampung Province, the Indonesian Food and Beverage Association (GAPMMI), the Center for Pharmaceutical and Medical Technology of BPPT, the Center for Standardization Formulation of BSN, the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, the Bandar Lampung Industrial Research and Standardization Center, Bogor Agricultural University, Universitas Bandar Lampung, Universitas Lampung, and the State Polytechnic of Lampung.

Lampung is considered to have the largest cassava and tapioca producing potential in Indonesia. This was stated by Ir. Mulyadi Irsan, Head of Bappeda Lampung. “Lampung can produce 7.4 million tons of cassava with a land area reaching 279 thousand hectares,” said Mulyadi. “Unfortunately,” he continued, “based on research results from the National University of Singapore (NUS), there are no secondary processing recommendations for cassava in Lampung, making this business not very attractive.”

ITERA Lecturer, Amna Citra, also provided input regarding the tapioca production process in Indonesia. In her presentation, Amna Citra explained that the making of tapioca in Indonesia is very different from abroad. “The making of tapioca in Indonesia generally still uses manual or semi-manual equipment, whereas the entire process of making tapioca abroad is already full machine-based,” she revealed.

The process of making tapioca in Indonesia generally still uses traditional methods, where starch is sedimented in pools, followed by a drying process, either using sunlight or ovens. In Thailand and Australia, for example, this process already uses centrifugation and cyclones so that it is much faster.

At the event, the communication forum of Starch Business Actors and Technology Experts initiated by BPPT was also officially opened. The communication forum named “FORPATI” was warmly welcomed by various business actors and academics. BPPT also officially announced the launch of the “De Cassava” cafe as an effort to support cassava as a driver of the Lampung community’s economy.  (HAP)