THE POTENTIAL OF NATURAL SAGO FOREST AS WELL AS AWIAK TRIBE SKILLS IN PROCESSING SAGO IN PURAGI VILLAGE OF METEMANI DISTRICT, SOUTH SORONG REGENCY
Irnawati Irnawati (a*), Nur Hidaya (a), Aprisa Rian Histiarini (a)

Postgraduate of Muhammadiyah University of Sorong Jalan Pendidikan No. 27 Kelurahan Klabulu Kota Sorong, 98415, Indonesia
*irnawatif[at]gmail.com

(a)* Forestry Department, Universitas Muhammadiyah Sorong.
(b) Sociology Department, Universitas Muhammadiyah Sorong.
(c) Industrial Engineering Department, Universitas Muhammadiyah Sorong.

Abstract

Metemani District with an area of 531,488 Km2 consisted of 6 costumary villages including Puragi, Bedare, Mugim, Nusa, Saga and Tawanggire. These villages belonged to the potential of natural sago forest covering a spacious area of 29,400 hectares which tended to be potential to be managed and developed as a center pf sago starch production based on indigenous community. The aims of this research is to know the traditional harvesting and processing system of natural sago. The method used to measure the potential of natural sago palms is the method of plotting an area of 2 Ha. Meanwhile, the object of this research is the Natural Sago Forest (HSA) along with its traditional processing system and its development. The results of this study indicate that the potential of natural sago trees (HSA) in the category of raw cutting (BMT) and mature cuttings (MT) is 128 trees per hectare, the sago cutting potential (MT) is average. From 1 hectare, 58 trees/ha.. Similarly, the way to get sago flour is by dividing the sago stalk into several pieces (tual) with a size of 1.2 meters, removing the bark, then pounding it into a fine powder and then transporting it to an air source to be washed/kneaded with water to get sago starch or sago flour which finely separated from the sago squeezed water. The conclusion is that the development and processing of sago traditionally carried out by indigenous peoples can be formulated through 6 strategies, including a). Empowerment of human resources- b). sago forest arrangement- c). provision of infrastructure and community-based sago development- d) Planning for the preparation of clean water- e) Growing and developing partnership patterns- and f) local government policy support kebijakan

Keywords: The Potential, Natural Sago Forest, Management, Awiak tribe tradition.

Topic: Social Science and Humanities