Luhut: Gemological Research Center On Lake Toba Built Supporting Food Safety

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment (Menko Marves) Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan. (Photo: Doc. ANTARA)

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said that the construction of a genome research center for the Herbal and Horticulture Technology Science Park (TSTH2) in North Sumatra is one of the government's efforts to maintain national food security.

In the Indonesia Solar Summit 2024 event in Jakarta, Wednesday, Luhut said the genome research center was built so that Indonesia could develop superior seeds for various types of food plants, such as potatoes, garlic, shallots, and chilies.

According to him, this is also important because the world is currently facing geopolitical instability and climate change.

"And within the next 2'3 years, we can see the best seeds from potatoes, onions, chilies, and others," said Luhut, quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, August 21.

TSTH2 in Humbang Hasundutan Regency, North Sumatra was built since 2021 and managed by the Del Institute of Technology.

In addition to creating superior seeds for horticultural plants, TSTH2 will also become a laboratory for the development of herbal plants.

In the development of TSTH2, Indonesia is collaborating with the Beijing Genomic Institute.

According to Luhut, China has succeeded in producing its own herbal medicines from rare plants.

Luhut, in a coordination meeting on regional inflation control with the Ministry of Home Affairs on August 5, said that in the early stages, herbal plants would be planted from various kinds of Indonesian rare plants on 5 hectares of land.

The TSTH2 will be a place for developing herbal plants using genomic technology or genetic engineering, with the aim of producing standard herbal medicines.

Based on data from Drug and Herbal Medicine Research by the Ministry of Health, there are 32,013 traditional medicine ingredients and 2,848 plant species that have been identified as traditional medicinal plants.

Currently, the construction of TSTH2 is entering phase 2, and is planned to be inaugurated next month.