Agricultural Down Streaming

The government continues to encourage downstream in all sectors, including the agricultural sector to create jobs. Dr. Suwandi, Director General of Food Crops stressed the importance of the role of innovation technology and technology transfer to shift the agricultural production curve to improve the welfare of farmers. Downstream needs to be encouraged to be carried out by Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in particular.  In Webinar Episode 1006, APPERTANI had the opportunity to organize a webinar on the topic of Agricultural Down Streaming. The moderator of this webinar episode was Prof. Dr. Ir. Mat Syukur, APPERTANI/BRIN Agricultural Economics expert team. 

Prof. Dr. Ir. S. Joni Munarso, MS Technology Expert Team in Postharvest Technology APPERTANI / BRIN / PATINDO delivered the topic: Technological Innovation Supports Downstream Food Crop Commodities Based on Starch Content”.  Downstream is an effort to increase the added value of agricultural products (or other sectors) through the processing and marketing of semi-finished products, finished products, and advanced derivative products. The success of downstream is determined by multifactor other than technology/innovation such as markets, products, actors, raw materials, regulations/policies/management.  Food crop commodities such as: paddy / rice, corn, other cereals (sorghum, hanjeli), various beans (soybeans, peanuts), various sweet potatoes (cassava, sweet potatoes), etc. contain elements that can be processed into flour and starch.  Downstream can be based on whole commodity processing, extraction/component materials, or waste/by-products.  Downstream flour products in the form of ready-to-eat, ready-to-eat products and auxiliary materials. While downstream starch products can be in the form of syrup, modified starches, bioethanol, biodegradable plastic. Technological innovations for starch-based downstream are ready, as well as researchers/engineers supporting national-scale implementation.

Prof. Dr. Sri Widowati, MAppSc, APPERTANI Expert Team for Postharvest Technology who is also still active as a BRIN researcher, delivered material with the topic: “Technology and Innovation Support Downstream of Protein-Based Food Crops”. Protein is one of the macronutrients needed by the body and can be sourced from animal protein derived from animals, as well as vegetable protein derived from plants. The average protein requirement of Indonesians is around 60 gr/day according to the expected food pattern, while the average protein consumed (excluding finished food) is 48.81 gr/day (BPS, 2022), and 62 gr/day including finished food.   Downstream food commodity sources of protein play a role in terms of increasing added value, competitiveness, food security, income, and welfare. Various vegetable protein sources have been used such as soybeans, green bean, kacang tunggak, red bean, koro benguk, koro pedang, peanut and kacang gude.  Fermented and non-fermented soybean products have grown more varied than other protein source beans. But unfortunately, the raw materials are mostly imported soybeans. It is necessary to educate the public to realize that vegetable protein is not only from soybeans.

Dr. Ir. Kurnia Suci Indraningsih, M.Si, APPERTANI/BRIN Expert Team for Communication and Development Extension delivered the topic: Acceleration of Technology Transfer to Support Agricultural Down streaming which includes: 1) understanding and meaning of technology transfer/dissemination; 2) technology transfer models; 3) constraints in the transfer of agricultural technology; 4) technology transfer acceleration strategy; 5) the effectiveness of technology transfer media.  The characteristics of technology introduced to farmers need to be qualified: have relative advantages, according to socio-cultural conditions, not complicated, testable, and observable. Policy support to accelerate technology transfer to support downstream farming has been issued in the form of Presidential Regulation No. 35/2022 concerning Strengthening the Function of Agricultural Extension and Minister of Agriculture Regulation No. 27/2023 concerning the Implementation of Presidential Regulation No. 35/2022.