People in Banyubiru, Central Java, call Manihot utilisima or cassava as the treasure from the ground. It is because they utilize every part of it; the leaves, the stem, even the root. In the previous day, the housewife starched the clothes that made from cotton and linen before they were ironed so that they would be smoother. Starch is made by thinning the tapioca flour and dabbing it onto the clothes. After the clothes are dried, we iron them.
Nowadays, the technology of the kitchen utensil from the past is used by textile industry. According to Mrs. Zubaidi Kailani, a researcher at Balai Besar Penelitian dan Pengembangan Tekstil in Bandung, West Java, to get the smooth, wear resistant, and shiny fabric can be made by modification tapioca as starch. It must be added by amylase alpha enzyme so that the amilopektin branch chain can be cut to repair the quality of tapioca flour. Because otherwise, the pure tapioca flour is too viscous that make the thread stiff. After being modified, it will become thinner so that it can be absorbed into cotton fiber easily and be more elastic.
Beside, tapioca can be used as lunch box. A researcher of Kasetrat University, Bangkok, Thailand, Klanarong Sriorith discovered that tapioca can be turned as poliaktat PLA or plastic seed that can be decomposed in the soil for a month and become carbohydrate source for plants. It can be recycled as compost. The product from tapioca, cellulose fiber, and other materials is secure for human because it does not obtain lead (Pb), cadium (Cd), and arsenic (As). The sheet is formed by order. The texture is like a carton and it is water resistant for 2-3 hours if the temperature of the water as low as the temperature of the room. For example, if the temperature of the water is 800C, it can be used for 20 minutes.
Tapioca contains vitamin P. According to Prof. Dr. Amri Bachtiar MS DESS Apt, it strengthened capillary structure and reduces permeability or blood vessel pliability. It can be used to cure hypertension, migraine, headache, and so on. It also can be used in cosmetic industry as sun screen and as a pimpled preventative.
Tapioca is also used as bio ethanol. Some countries (China, Brazil, and United States) produce mixed gasoline and 10% bio ethanol. Indonesia also does the producing and sells it at Rp 6.000,00/liter.
Many kinds of things that can be made from cassava like moci, chips, macaroni, traditional food, glue, noodle, bio ethanol, etc. Chips are made of cassava’s cover, stem can be made as coal; the vinegar of wood can be made as fertilized.
“If the appeal is more than demand, the price will increase and if the appeal is less than demand, the price will decrease.”
The price for cassava is Rp 2.500,00/kg. Indonesia which has 200 million people must need another kind of staple food unless rice, corn, or sagu. It must be cassava. Nowadays the food production needs cassava in a large scale. The area to plant cassava is also wide.
But the demand of cassava is not high enough because of other’s food choice. This is the deal groove below:
The Farmer
Distributor
Market
Consumer
The Farmer sold cassava Rp 1.800,00/kg. Distributor sold it Rp 2.000,00. In market, the consumer bought it for Rp 2.300-2.500,00/kg. The survey was taken in Pasar Ambarawa. It seems that cassava can be a promised future chance.
No comments:
Post a Comment