<![CDATA[then the potential for food substitution should be optimized. This study aims to analyze the demand for rice as a staple food for households. The study used secondary data, namely the 2024 SUSENAS. The study sample size was 6,933 households. The demand model approach used a multiple linear regression model. The results showed that the rice demand model in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) was very significant. The coefficient of determination (R2) is 0.626. The price of rice has a significant effect on the demand for rice (α 0.01). The results of data analysis show that the substitute food for rice in NTT is sweet potatoes, indicated by a positive regression coefficient and sig at α 10%, meaning that if the price of rice increases, the demand for sweet potatoes increases. Or in other words, if the price of rice increases, households in NTT replace rice with sweet potatoes. Complementary foods for rice are wheat, cassava, and potatoes. Socio-demographic variables have a significant effect on the demand for rice with a positive regression coefficient, meaning that if income or the number of household members increases, the demand for rice also increases. The results of this study confirm that households in NTT consume rice as a staple carbohydrate source, and sweet potato can be a substitute for rice. As a policy implication, the importance of food diversification strategies in East Nusa Tenggara is focused on optimizing sweet potato as a buffer stock commodity. The findings on socio-demographic variables imply that local governments need to integrate independent food programs based on sweet potato to prevent excessive dependence on external rice supplies, especially in household segments with a large number of household members]]>
