Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government is working to boost national sugar production to levels last seen during the Dutch colonial era, according to Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman.
Speaking in Jakarta on Wednesday, Sulaiman said that such an ambitious goal could be achieved through discipline and strict management.
“Did you know that when Indonesia was under Dutch colonial rule, the country produced 10 tons of sugar per hectare? That was the result of pressure, discipline, and firmness,” he told reporters.
Currently, Indonesia produces about 4 tons of sugar per hectare. However, with the use of modern techniques and sustained effort, he believes output could be increased to as much as 14 tons per hectare.
He emphasized the importance of Indonesia regaining its former status as the world’s second-largest sugar producer and achieving self-sufficiency within three years.
To meet these targets, the government plans to expand sugarcane plantations by 1 million hectares and increase the productivity of the existing 500,000 hectares of sugarcane fields.
“We are confident that with consistency, Indonesia will reach sugar self-sufficiency in the next three years,” he said.
While accompanying Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka at a sugarcane harvest and planting event in Banyuwangi, East Java, on Monday, Sulaiman reiterated the government’s commitment to accelerating sugar sufficiency through comprehensive reforms.
The government’s measures include improving seed quality, updating planting methods, enhancing downstream processing, and reforming trade mechanisms.
“The goal is simple: to ensure that farmers can earn a profit. Losses will only discourage them from planting,” he explained.
The Ministry of Agriculture has set a roadmap to achieve self-sufficiency in table sugar by 2028, and for all types of sugar by 2030.
