Corn production expected to rise to 9.2m tons<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Domestic corn production is projected to
\nincrease to 9.2 million tons this year, up from around 8.9
\nmillion tons last year.<\/p>\n
Minister of Agriculture Sjarifudin Baharsjah said Monday the
\narea of hybrid corn crops would more than double to 1.2 million
\nhectares from about 500,000 hectares at present because of the
\ngovernment's program to raise corn production.<\/p>\n
Corn crop expansion projects are planned for six provinces:
\nNorth Sumatra, Lampung, West Java, Central Java, East Java and
\nSouth Sulawesi.<\/p>\n
Indonesia imports about one million tons of corn annually;
\nmainly hybrid corn to support domestic poultry food production.<\/p>\n
Corn makes up 50 percent of poultry food and soybeans make up
\n15 percent.<\/p>\n
Poultry husbandry has developed impressively in Indonesia with
\nthe public's demand for meat, milk and eggs increasing in the
\nlast few years because of a better economy.<\/p>\n
Sjarifudin said that, aside from corn production, the ministry
\nof agriculture was planning to increase the production of rice
\nand other food commodities, like meat, fish and horticultural
\nproducts, in the fiscal year 1997\/1998.<\/p>\n
The government had allocated Rp 1.5 trillion (US$635 million)
\nfor agriculture and forestry in its budget for the 1997\/1998
\nfiscal year: Rp 880 billion of this would be given to the
\nMinistry of Agriculture, he said.<\/p>\n
According to data at the ministry, the government expects the
\ncountry to produce 52 million tons of unhusked rice this year, up
\nfrom last year's output of 51 million tons.<\/p>\n
Soybean production is expected to increase from 1.9 million
\ntons last year to 2 million tons this year.<\/p>\n
Vegetable output is targeted to reach about 5.3 million tons,
\nwhile fruit output is expected to reach 6.3 million tons.<\/p>\n
Fish output is expected to increase 5.9 percent from last year
\nto 4.7 million tons this year, including 3.7 million tons of
\nsaltwater fish, and one million tons of freshwater fish.<\/p>\n
About 656.710 tons are expected to be exported this year,
\ngenerating about $2.2 billion in revenue.<\/p>\n
Sjarifuddin said the government would open 15 new fishing
\nports this year to increase production.<\/p>\n
He expected the recent deregulatory measure which allowed the
\nimport of fishing boats would increase the national catch this
\nyear.<\/p>\n
The government expects the country's number of fishing boats
\nto increase to about 1,000 by the year 2000. It is allowing
\nprivate firms to import about 340 fishing boats yearly starting
\nthis year.<\/p>\n
Sjarifudin installed seven officials at his ministry on
\nMonday, including Bambang Subiantoro as the chief of the
\nappliance and administration office, Darman Bachri Hasibuan as
\nthe chief of the public relations office, Hardjono as the chief
\nof the agricultural quarantine center and Togar Alam Napitupulu
\nas the chief of the agricultural statistics office.<\/p>\n
The minister of agriculture's secretary-general, Soetatwo
\nHadiwigeno, completed his term yesterday. He has been appointed
\nthe Food and Agriculture Organization assistant for the Asia-
\nPacific. He will be based in Bangkok, Thailand. (jsk)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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