Deputy Minister of Agriculture Evaluates Ratoon Dismantling as Strategy to Boost National Sugar Production
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Minister of Agriculture (Wamentan) Sudaryono has assessed the dismantling of ratoon, or the rejuvenation of sugarcane plants, as one of the strategies to accelerate national sugar production.
Sudaryono, when met at the Senayan Parliamentary Complex in Jakarta on Tuesday, stated that dismantling ratoon involves completely removing old plants (ratoon) whose productivity has declined, then replacing them with superior new seeds to increase sugarcane tonnage and sugar yield.
“Dismantling ratoon is important. So we seek varieties with good standards and good yields, so that the yield is good,” said the Deputy Minister.
He assessed that the use of superior varieties of commodity plants can affect production by up to 20-30 per cent.
Therefore, he continued, the government is now encouraging the use of superior seeds in agricultural activities to achieve the target of sugar self-sufficiency.
“If Indonesia can increase its high yield… then not only will we achieve sugar self-sufficiency, but we can also lower the price of sugar,” said Deputy Minister Sudaryono.
In addition to dismantling ratoon, the opening of new land was also mentioned as another step to encourage increased sugar production and accelerate the achievement of the sugar self-sufficiency target.
“Like it or not, we have to find new land that is suitable for planting, without disturbing the ecology,” said Sudaryono.
On the other hand, the Deputy Minister also stated that his side is not only promoting food self-sufficiency such as sugar, but also accelerating the agricultural sector to contribute to the green economy through the implementation of Carbon Economic Value (NEK).
“Agriculture can also be a carbon absorber. With millions of farmers and vast land, this sector can become a supplier of global carbon credits and also attract green investment,” said Sudaryono.
The government, he said, has issued Presidential Regulation (Perpres) No. 110 of 2025 which regulates the implementation of carbon economic instruments across sectors.
“Adaptation and mitigation are the two main approaches in facing climate change, which complement each other in increasing resilience as well as reducing emissions,” said the Deputy Minister.
He continued that adaptation is focused on increasing the capacity of the agricultural sector to be more resilient to climate impacts.
“Meanwhile, mitigation is directed at reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) effects, increasing carbon absorption, and including encouraging the agriculture and Forestry and Other Land Use (FOLU) sectors to become a net sink,” said Sudaryono.
“This is a condition when a sector or ecosystem absorbs more greenhouse gas emissions than it releases,” he added.