Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Industry Ministry is offering coaching to small and medium industries to assist them in diversifying products made from Hiyung chili, a variety of chili that is unique to South Kalimantan.
Director General of Small and Medium Industries at the ministry Reni Yanita said Hiyung chili is an agricultural commodity that has the potential to be developed for making great products, and it is expected to improve the welfare of farmers in Tapin, South Kalimantan.
"In the efforts to improve that product, collaboration is needed, whether it is with ministries or agencies, or regional governments," she said, according to a statement received here on Saturday.
As per 2022 data provided by Statistics Indonesia, Tapin district is the largest cayenne pepper producer in South Kalimantan, with 479 hectares of farms producing about 2,015.7 tons of cayenne pepper, she noted.
One variety of chili that the farms produce is Hiyung chili, which is named after the village where it is grown, Hiyung Village, Yanita said.
In 2016, Hiyung chili was recorded as a horticulture plant in the Agriculture Ministry's registry, she pointed out. The Tapin district government is responsible for ensuring the continuity of its production, she added.
As of 2020, the chili has also been registered as a national geographic indicator, Yanita said.
She drew attention to the potential for the chili to be developed into other products.
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According to Director for Food, Furniture, and Building Materials at the directorate general Yedi Sabaryadi, Hiyung chili has a spiciness rate of 2,333.05 ppm, which is much higher compared to other chilis.
With the right technology, the chili can be developed into food products that could generate added value for farmers.
"Hence, the Directorate General of Small and Medium Industries at the Industry Ministry is consistently offering training for local small and medium industry players so that Hiyung chili can be processed into many derivative products,” he said.
The directorate general has been teaching farmers about product diversification as well as guiding them on employing processing techniques to prolong the shelf life of products, Sabaryadi added.
It has also consistently reminded food small and medium industries to follow Good Manufacturing Practices, he said.
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