The Dual Role of Cassava
National food and energy resilience is being promoted through the development of sustainable local resource-based commodities. One such commodity is cassava.
The strengthening efforts extend beyond cultivation to downstream processing and bioethanol production. PT Perkebunan Nusantara or PTPN III (Persero) is preparing integrated development from upstream to downstream for this commodity.
PTPN III’s President Director, Denaldy Mulino Mauna, stated that the prepared model encompasses increasing productivity in plantations to strengthening processing industries. Upstream, the focus is on land optimisation, productivity enhancement, and developing adaptive superior varieties.
Meanwhile, downstream strengthening is directed towards the bioethanol industry through operational collaborations at the factory facility in Lampung. “This programme is a strategic step for the company in building a future integrated, productive, and sustainable agro-industrial ecosystem,” he explained on Monday, 20 April 2026.
He assessed that cassava has a dual role, not only as a food commodity but also as an energy raw material. Therefore, its development needs to be comprehensive to form an efficient value chain.
PTPN III is also exploring collaborations with local governments, farmers, and industry players to ensure raw material supply and production sustainability. In Lampung, the company has coordinated with the provincial government, farmers’ associations, and processing industry partners.
Additionally, research strengthening is being conducted with universities and research institutions to boost productivity, including through variety development and cultivation techniques.
He further assessed that upstream-downstream integration is key so that commodities like cassava do not remain mere raw materials but enter broader, value-added industrial chains.
“The development of the bioethanol industry has the potential to create economic impacts, from job absorption to increasing the added value of agricultural commodities,” Denaldy clarified.