Asbenas Ships 200 Tonnes of Food-Grade Corn to P3JI in First-Ever Delivery

The Nusantara Seed Association (Asbenas) in Kediri, East Java, has shipped 200 tonnes of food-grade or industrial corn to be absorbed by the Indonesian Corn Refiners Association (P3JI) and other domestic food industries. Asbenas Deputy Chairman Dedy Supriadi stated that this is the association’s first delivery of corn specifically for food use. “Historically, almost 100 per cent of food-grade corn has been imported because the quality standards differ from those of feed corn. Today, we are trialling a shipment of 200 tonnes,” he said during the dispatch in Kediri, East Java, on Tuesday. The corn is being sent to several regions, including Cilegon, Wonogiri, Pasuruan, and Krian. Dedy noted that the annual demand for food-grade corn among P3JI members is quite substantial, ranging from 1 to 1.5 million tonnes. However, this figure is significantly lower than the demand for feed corn, which reaches 15 million tonnes per year, against a projected national production of 16 million tonnes in 2025. He explained that the limited demand for food-grade corn is influenced by several factors, including a restricted industry dominated by a few large companies and a near-total reliance on imported raw materials. “The demand factor is also affected by the availability of semi-finished industrial products. Companies can directly import corn flour, dextrose, or maltose, which may explain why the industry’s needs have stagnated at 1.5 million tonnes,” he added. For this initial shipment, 14 domestic companies contributed various corn varieties. Dedy assured that the quality meets required standards, as the corn underwent testing for starch, protein, and other content prior to dispatch. He described the 200-tonne shipment as a concrete step by Asbenas to support the government’s efforts to reduce dependency on imported food-grade corn. The association also aims to ensure independence and quality across the entire supply chain, from upstream seed production and farmer cultivation to downstream industrial processing, using the seed process as a role model. He added that synergy with food industry companies and support from the Ministry of Agriculture are key to the programme’s sustainability. Director of Food Crop Seeding at the Ministry of Agriculture, Ladiyani Retno Widowati, confirmed that the government is coordinating with seed producers and other stakeholders to procure food-grade corn. She added that coordination with product testing authorities is also being strengthened to ensure the quality of food-grade corn continues to improve. The dispatch event was attended by officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, representatives from the East Java and Central Java provincial governments, the Kediri Regency government, the Indonesian National Armed Forces and National Police, and Asbenas management.