ID :
36402
Thu, 12/18/2008 - 23:11
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https://www.oananews.org//node/36402
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RI TO ACHIEVE SUGAR SELF-SUFFICIENCY IN 4-5 YEARS
Jakarta, Dec 18 (ANTARA) - Indonesia is expecting to be able to be self-sufficient in sugar in four or five years' time when domestic supply is able to meet demand.
"In four or five years' time we will no longer import refined or raw sugar meaning we will be self-sufficient," Industry Minister Fahmi Idris said here on Thursday.
He said the government was currently encouraging consumers to consume domestic white sugar while directing raw sugar production for local sugar refining industry.
Indonesia has a surplus of 50,000 tons of white sugar produced in 2008. Out of 2.78 million tons of white sugar produced in the year only 2.73 million tons are consumed.
The director general of plantations, Achmad Manggabarani, meanwhile said that self-sufficiency in while sugar had actually been achieved.
The year 2008 could be the first process towards national self-sufficiency seeing that in 2007 the country still suffered a deficit of 40,000 tons of white sugar with production reaching 2.66 million tons.
To achieve self-sufficiency he said in the short-term efforts would be made to increase crushing capacity and rehabilitate plants and extend plantations to outside Java.
The mid-term targets from 2010 to 2014 efforts will be made to develop new sugar mills and sugar-based industries.
"The long-term target from 2015 to 2025 is maintaining sugar self-sufficiency and becoming a sugar exporter," he said.
Since August 18, 2008, based upon the decision made at a limited coordination meeting with the vice president, the import quota for raw sugar in 2008 has been reduced by 300,000 tons while import quota for white sugar by 200,000 tons.
Fahmi Idris said the import quota for raw sugar was now recorded at 1.375 million tons or an equivalent of 1.25 million tons of refined sugar while initially refined sugar production was set at 1.55 million tons while imports of refined sugar set at 500,000 tons.
He said the policy had initially been taken to reduce dependency of domestic sugar industries on imports but pros and cons emerged. "Now the government is still seeking to set the amount of refined sugar imports," he said.
He admitted the government had difficulties determining the direction of its national sugar policy because no valid data on the real condition of national sugar industries was available.
In view of that he said the government had to put the mess in order by among others sychronizing data from producers, consumers, surveyors and government research institutions.
"In four or five years' time we will no longer import refined or raw sugar meaning we will be self-sufficient," Industry Minister Fahmi Idris said here on Thursday.
He said the government was currently encouraging consumers to consume domestic white sugar while directing raw sugar production for local sugar refining industry.
Indonesia has a surplus of 50,000 tons of white sugar produced in 2008. Out of 2.78 million tons of white sugar produced in the year only 2.73 million tons are consumed.
The director general of plantations, Achmad Manggabarani, meanwhile said that self-sufficiency in while sugar had actually been achieved.
The year 2008 could be the first process towards national self-sufficiency seeing that in 2007 the country still suffered a deficit of 40,000 tons of white sugar with production reaching 2.66 million tons.
To achieve self-sufficiency he said in the short-term efforts would be made to increase crushing capacity and rehabilitate plants and extend plantations to outside Java.
The mid-term targets from 2010 to 2014 efforts will be made to develop new sugar mills and sugar-based industries.
"The long-term target from 2015 to 2025 is maintaining sugar self-sufficiency and becoming a sugar exporter," he said.
Since August 18, 2008, based upon the decision made at a limited coordination meeting with the vice president, the import quota for raw sugar in 2008 has been reduced by 300,000 tons while import quota for white sugar by 200,000 tons.
Fahmi Idris said the import quota for raw sugar was now recorded at 1.375 million tons or an equivalent of 1.25 million tons of refined sugar while initially refined sugar production was set at 1.55 million tons while imports of refined sugar set at 500,000 tons.
He said the policy had initially been taken to reduce dependency of domestic sugar industries on imports but pros and cons emerged. "Now the government is still seeking to set the amount of refined sugar imports," he said.
He admitted the government had difficulties determining the direction of its national sugar policy because no valid data on the real condition of national sugar industries was available.
In view of that he said the government had to put the mess in order by among others sychronizing data from producers, consumers, surveyors and government research institutions.
