{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1148315,
        "msgid": "sugar-council-sweet-on-imports-1447893297",
        "date": "2005-03-26 00:00:00",
        "title": "Sugar Council sweet on imports",
        "author": null,
        "source": "JP",
        "tags": null,
        "topic": null,
        "summary": "Sugar Council sweet on imports Zakki P. Hakim, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta The Indonesian Sugar Council (DGI) has suggested that sugarcane farmers start harvesting their cane in mid May, a two-week delay from the initial date, to allow more time for listed importers to meet their sugar import quotas, says Minister of Trade Mari E. Pangestu. \"The council has suggested the delay, but no specific date has yet been determined as to when the sugarcane crushing season officially starts.",
        "content": "<p>Sugar Council sweet on imports<\/p>\n<p>Zakki P. Hakim, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n<p>The Indonesian Sugar Council (DGI) has suggested that sugarcane<br>\nfarmers start harvesting their cane in mid May, a two-week delay<br>\nfrom the initial date, to allow more time for listed importers to<br>\nmeet their sugar import quotas, says Minister of Trade Mari E.<br>\nPangestu.<\/p>\n<p>\"The council has suggested the delay, but no specific date has<br>\nyet been determined as to when the sugarcane crushing season<br>\nofficially starts.<\/p>\n<p>\"It could even be later than mid May,\" Mari told reporters<br>\nlate on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>The government reopened sugar imports in December last year,<br>\ngranting four state-owned companies permits to import up to<br>\n300,000 tons of sugar.<\/p>\n<p>However, with domestic sugar consumption on the rise, the<br>\ngovernment early this month allowed the importation of an<br>\nadditional 200,000 tons. The four firms currently holding sugar<br>\nimport permits are plantation companies PTPN IX, PTPN X and PTPN<br>\nXI, and trading and manufacturing company PT Rajawali Nusantara<br>\nIndonesia (RNI).<\/p>\n<p>Since 2002, the government has limited the number of sugar<br>\nimporters in a bid to help protect the interests of local<br>\nsugarcane farmers who cannot compete against much cheaper<br>\nimported sugar products.<\/p>\n<p>The government bans the import of white sugar one month before<br>\nthe crushing season, coinciding with the day local farmers start<br>\nharvesting, and re-opens imports about five months before the<br>\nseason.<\/p>\n<p>Therefore, based on the sugar trade rules, the importers --<br>\nwho will only get four months to import sugar -- can bring in<br>\nsugar as late as March, as local farmers usually harvest their<br>\ncane starting early April.<\/p>\n<p>The Council's suggestion means that harvesting could be pushed<br>\nforward to mid April.<\/p>\n<p>Elsewhere, in anticipation of recent fuel price increases,<br>\nMari said that the council had suggested an increase in the<br>\nminimum price of sugar received by farmers from the current Rp<br>\n3,410 (37 U.S. cents) per kilogram.<\/p>\n<p>Sugar factories are required to buy local sugar from farmers<br>\nusing the determine minimum price as the starting rate.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/sugar-council-sweet-on-imports-1447893297",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}