Prabowo Orders Mass Production of Cassava Flour Technology to Extinguish Forest Fires

President Prabowo Subianto has ordered a trial for the mass production of a flour-based technology to extinguish forest and land fires.

“It is very interesting that the raw material comes from cassava, from singkong. Wow, please try to produce it on a large scale. Submit the production costs, and we will make every effort,” Prabowo said while leading a forest and land fire handling meeting in Palembang on Monday (24/8).

“So what we drop is not a water bomb but a cassava bomb. Huh? If one MI-17 helicopter can carry how many tonnes? Four tonnes for water bombing. Perhaps four tonnes of cassava powder or cassava flour — we should test how wide an area it can effectively cover,” Prabowo added.

The fire-extinguishing flour innovation was initially presented by National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo during the meeting.

He raised it in response to Prabowo’s question about innovations in forest and land fire suppression beyond the conventional use of water.

“There is a type of substance whose main raw material is flour that can be used for prevention, Sir. When sprayed with the equipment and that substance, it can separate the fire, oxygen and carbon dioxide, Sir,” Listyo said.

Listyo explained that the innovation could potentially be produced in sufficiently large quantities, though it requires further research.

He noted that the innovation could be used both to prevent fires and to extinguish them in their early stages.

“But if, for example, the coverage area or the quantity of flour is sufficient, it may also be able to handle medium or large fires,” he said.

“It is flour, Sir, flour made from cassava, Sir,” he added.

At the same meeting, Commander of Military Regional Command II/Sriwijaya Major General TNI Ujang Darwis said the innovation was discovered by a member of the Babinsa (village supervisory non-commissioned officer) in Lubuklinggau.

However, its production capacity remains small.

“Indeed, the production capacity is still small, Sir. If this is approved, we will try to scale it up, and this has also been conveyed to the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB),” Darwis said.