ABDULLAH Asaduddin

73100002

Not solely depend on rice and makes millet as a

“Food security” commodity in Indonesia

Millet (Setaria Italica) or Juwawut (Indonesian language) is a type of small

seeded cereals (milet) who was once a staple food of the people of East Asia and
Southeast Asia before paddy field known. Evidence in China showed that there
millet cultivation and rice since 6000 years BC. Southeast Asian societies have been
familiar with rice cultivation at least 3000 years BC. In other hand can be said there
are strong influence from china dynasty to introduce millet in Indonesia.

Moreover from many source of books or journals said the name given to Java
Island is based on Juwawut (Millet in Indonesia languages). According to
Dr. B. Ch. Chhabra in the journal MBRAS Vol XV Part 3, p. 79 mentions the habit of
the people of ancient India where the vurbeable crops such as millet crops (yawa-in
sanksekerta language) so that the island was called yawadwipa known as Java
Island. From another sources said: One possibility is that the pilgrim from India
named the island is based on Java-wut plants, which are often found in that island.

Nowadays millet or juwawut are less popular as daily consumption in

Indonesia. Millet taken by rice which can be said is the most importance food crops
in Indonesia. Republic of Indonesia Law No. 7 year 1996 is the legislation that
regulates food. All related to food security stipulated in this rule. There's only one
type of plant that has not been recorded in the Office of Food Security as a source
of food is juwawut (Millet).

ndonesian Agency for Food Security is a government body that has the duty
and responsibility in realizing the availability of food in Indonesia this. Availability
here meet every household in the availability of sufficient quantity and fulfilled both
in terms of quality, nutrition, and safety for consumption as well as affordable by
every individual.

In the process of food security, the most responsible are farmers. In addition
to farmers are the main producers of food, but farmers also are the largest group of
consumers who are still poor and thus require a relatively high purchasing power in
buying food and vice versa when the farmers of food purchased with a relatively low
price. This has triggered so that farmers must have the ability to produce food at
the same time must also meet the food needs of their own.
 Government programs on self-sufficiency in rice and is one of the programs in
achieving community food availability is difficult to achieve, so far this government
programs is failed. This was proved by the existence of a government program to
import rice from abroad in order to meet the public food supply. On things other
than rice, lots of rice substitutes as alternative food sources such as sweet potato,
cassava, maize, nuts and beans, soybeans, and last but not least in terms of
nutrient content in millet because it is not commercial.

Millet is a part of minor economic plant, but rich nutrient value, millet is
similar to other food crops such as rice, corn, wheat and grain crops because of
millet crop itself is classified into a species of plant seeds. Society not familiar with
millet as a food source so far only a crop of millet used as bird feed. In the case of
this plant can be processed into food sources by the community to support food
security and anticipate the problem of hunger.

According to Ir. Hj. Rusdayani Amin, MS, this plant is spread in almost all the
islands of Indonesia such as labors, muddy, and including South Sulawesi as
Enrekang, Sidrap, Maros, Majene and other areas. This plant is very easy to be
cultivated because of the planting on farm lands people in a way that flough ground
is paved with millet seeds. Then this plant has no season and can be planted
throughout the year by considering the conditions of growth. Then do not require
specific soil types. 　 Therefore, it can be planted anywhere by way of sows. Then,
from the economic aspect does not require high production cost and simple in
maintenance because it does not require pesticides and other chemical species. Just
need to be secured from disturbance of birds because it is one bird food. So
sometimes in overseas, millet is cultivated on the glass enclosed places.

"In the future, hopefully the government can conduct a socialization of the
benefits of this type of millet crops to the public so they can grow to strengthen our
food security in Indonesia, especially Indonesian people not to rely solely on rice as
a commodity making millet mainstay"