The potential of sago as a local food ingredient to support the food security in South Konawe

Abstract

Southeast Sulawesi is one of Indonesia’s regions with several specific plants, including the sago plant. Sago is a portion of typical food for people in Southeast Sulawesi, especially in mainland areas such as Konawe, South Konawe, North Konawe, Kolaka, and East Kolaka. In Southeast Sulawesi, the sago plantation area has decreased sharply from the original site of 13,706 hectares to around 5,912 hectares. The depreciation of the sago planting area is thought to have been caused by converting land use from sago to rice fields, settlements, and other benefits. Although sago has many uses and advantages and can support food security, it faces severe problems in its cultivation due to narrowing the sago planting area and decreasing its production potential. This study aimed to identify the distribution of the potential regions for sago growth in the South Konawe Regency through spatial analysis techniques for land cover using Landsat-8 satellite imagery. From the results of spatial analysis, it was found that there was a potential sago plantation area to be developed in South Konawe Regency, which reached 5,873 ha. The largest site of sago was in North Moramo, Benua, Anggata, and Andolo Barat Districts. This area was the main center for sago processing in Konawe Selatan Regency.