JAKARTA, June 11 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia is targeting self-sufficiency in consumer sugar by 2028 and in sugar for industrial and bioethanol production by 2030, as part of a national strategy to enhance food and energy independence, according to Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman on Wednesday.
"Today, we are not only growing sugar cane, but also planting the great hope of this country to be independent in food and energy," Sulaiman said during a sugar cane harvest and planting event in Banter Barat village, located in Lumajang Regency of East Java province.
"We want Indonesia to end reliance on imports. This is not a dream, this is a realistic target that we are pursuing together," he said in a statement issued by his office on Wednesday, adding that the government will boost extensification and intensification measures to raise sugar production.
He also emphasized the strategic role of East Java as the country's largest contributor to national sugar output, calling it a key driver of the national sugar self-sufficiency effort.
The Ministry of Agriculture, along with other ministries and state-owned enterprises, continuously steps up efforts to increase the productivity of sugar plantations and expand the plantation area by 700,000 hectares, the minister noted.
He emphasized that the measures are reinforced by the modernization of sugar factories by increasing milling capacity, improving machines, and arranging a more efficient distribution and production system.
Farmer empowerment is a main focus of the efforts, providing farmers with technical guidance, strengthening access to capital, and fostering healthy partnerships between farmers and the sugar industry. ■
