In the midst of threats of world food crisis, sago can be promoted as a very high
source of carbohydrate-producing food (Meijer 1962). Sago consumption can reduce
food burden on rice in the form of food diversification because it has large potential
to be fully utilized.
Sago palm has been described as human’s oldest food plant (Avè 1977). The
starch has long been a staple food for humans in Southeast Asia (Flach 1997). In
Indonesia, sago was still a staple food for some people in Southeast Sulawesi,
Maluku, and Papua (Imelda 1980) and even in the past before the intensification
of rice plants and rice subsidies for the poor were carried out, many Indonesian
people living around sago habitats consumed sago. Sago plants are left behind and
replaced by rice. Therefore, sago resources were underutilized as indicated many
sago trees die after flowering period. Sago plants in Indonesia are still dominated by
natural sago, especially in Eastern Indonesia. The level of production of wet sago per
tree in various regions in Indonesia varies, with the lowest production of 150 kg to
the highest 400 kg of wet sago (Haryanto and Pangloli 1988). Natural sago can
produce 2.5–5.0 ton of sago flour/ha, whereas cultivated sago can produce 10–25 ton
of sago flour/ha.
Indeed, the diversification of food by promoting sago food is possible, because
sago cultivation is less intensive, producing the highest carbohydrates productivity.
Compared to other food crops, sago can produce 24 ton of carbohydrates/ha, while
rice, corn, and potatoes can produce 6.0, 5.5, and 2.5 ton, respectively (Bintoro
2008). In fact, it can also be developed in non-arable land without competing with
other food crops. Stanton (1993) mentioned that the advantages of sago crop are as
follows: (1) economically acceptable; (2) relatively sustainable; (3) environmentally
friendly; (4) uniquely versatile; (5) vigorous; and (6) promoting socially stable
agroforestry systems.
Lack of other nutrients in sago, such as protein, fats, and vitamins can be
compensated by other food supplements, such as fish, meat, and vegetables. Flavors
can be overcome through the advance of food processing technology by adding
various essences. In addition to the use of sago as a staple food with a simple process,
such as pepeda, plate sago, sinoli, and bagea, sago flour can be processed for a
variety of food and non-food products, namely snacks, sago noodles, sago pearls,
analog rice, raw materials, and supporting food industries, glucose syrup, liquid
sugar, dextrin, MSG, bioethanol, extender adhesives for plywood, animal feed, and
biodegradable plastic (Bintoro 2008; Bintoro et al. 2018).
Sago palm can be grown in underutilized peatland where other food crops cannot
grow economically. It produces a high yield of edible starch, namely about
150-300 kg of dry starch per plant. Sago starch production on peat soils is now
produced commercially in Sarawak, Malaysia and in Riau, Indonesia. Sago productivity in peatland still has the opportunity to be increased 2 times from 3 to 4 ton of
dry sago flour per hectare by increasing productive trees that are cut down to 50 trees
per hectare. Definitely, the sago production from the freshwater swamp ecosystem in
West Seram and from the moist clayey soil with high organic matter in Johor, West
Malaysia is higher than that of peatland, namely 10.6 ton of dry starch/ha derived
from 65 trunks and 25 ton dry starch/ha from 136 trunks, respectively (Flach 1997).
12 Sago Palm Practice as Natural AeroHydro Culture
371
source of carbohydrate-producing food (Meijer 1962). Sago consumption can reduce
food burden on rice in the form of food diversification because it has large potential
to be fully utilized.
Sago palm has been described as human’s oldest food plant (Avè 1977). The
starch has long been a staple food for humans in Southeast Asia (Flach 1997). In
Indonesia, sago was still a staple food for some people in Southeast Sulawesi,
Maluku, and Papua (Imelda 1980) and even in the past before the intensification
of rice plants and rice subsidies for the poor were carried out, many Indonesian
people living around sago habitats consumed sago. Sago plants are left behind and
replaced by rice. Therefore, sago resources were underutilized as indicated many
sago trees die after flowering period. Sago plants in Indonesia are still dominated by
natural sago, especially in Eastern Indonesia. The level of production of wet sago per
tree in various regions in Indonesia varies, with the lowest production of 150 kg to
the highest 400 kg of wet sago (Haryanto and Pangloli 1988). Natural sago can
produce 2.5–5.0 ton of sago flour/ha, whereas cultivated sago can produce 10–25 ton
of sago flour/ha.
Indeed, the diversification of food by promoting sago food is possible, because
sago cultivation is less intensive, producing the highest carbohydrates productivity.
Compared to other food crops, sago can produce 24 ton of carbohydrates/ha, while
rice, corn, and potatoes can produce 6.0, 5.5, and 2.5 ton, respectively (Bintoro
2008). In fact, it can also be developed in non-arable land without competing with
other food crops. Stanton (1993) mentioned that the advantages of sago crop are as
follows: (1) economically acceptable; (2) relatively sustainable; (3) environmentally
friendly; (4) uniquely versatile; (5) vigorous; and (6) promoting socially stable
agroforestry systems.
Lack of other nutrients in sago, such as protein, fats, and vitamins can be
compensated by other food supplements, such as fish, meat, and vegetables. Flavors
can be overcome through the advance of food processing technology by adding
various essences. In addition to the use of sago as a staple food with a simple process,
such as pepeda, plate sago, sinoli, and bagea, sago flour can be processed for a
variety of food and non-food products, namely snacks, sago noodles, sago pearls,
analog rice, raw materials, and supporting food industries, glucose syrup, liquid
sugar, dextrin, MSG, bioethanol, extender adhesives for plywood, animal feed, and
biodegradable plastic (Bintoro 2008; Bintoro et al. 2018).
Sago palm can be grown in underutilized peatland where other food crops cannot
grow economically. It produces a high yield of edible starch, namely about
150-300 kg of dry starch per plant. Sago starch production on peat soils is now
produced commercially in Sarawak, Malaysia and in Riau, Indonesia. Sago productivity in peatland still has the opportunity to be increased 2 times from 3 to 4 ton of
dry sago flour per hectare by increasing productive trees that are cut down to 50 trees
per hectare. Definitely, the sago production from the freshwater swamp ecosystem in
West Seram and from the moist clayey soil with high organic matter in Johor, West
Malaysia is higher than that of peatland, namely 10.6 ton of dry starch/ha derived
from 65 trunks and 25 ton dry starch/ha from 136 trunks, respectively (Flach 1997).
12 Sago Palm Practice as Natural AeroHydro Culture
371