Indonesia imports 1m tons sugar yearly

Indonesia imports 1m tons sugar yearly

BANDUNG (JP): Indonesia imports about one million tons of
sugar in a year to supply the demand of sugar in the country, an
official has said here.

Beddu Amang, the head of the National Logistics Agency, said
the demand of sugar now reached 3 million tons, while the
domestic production only reached 2.3 million tons a year.

"The production decline is caused by the decrease in the
number of sugar plantation," Beddu told journalists after a
seminar for students of Social Economy and Agricultural.

There are 68 sugar plantations now, down from 100 plantations
before the country gained its independence in 1945, he said.

Rapid development had shifted the role of many of the
plantations, he said, adding that many plantations in Java did
not function efficiently anymore now.

Some plantations produced only between 1,000 and 2,000 tons,
he said yesterday.

"Plantations which do not function efficiently should be
closed down," he said.

To increase the country's production of sugar, the government
planned to establish 20 sugar plantations outside of Java island,
he said.

Beddu said the proposed plantations would be located in South
and Southeast Sulawesi, East Timor, and Irian Jaya.

"Each plantation would probably be located on a 600-hectare
plot, which would give us about 10 million hectare of sugar
field," he said.

Beddu said he was optimistic that the additional plantations
would provide sufficient amount of sugar for the country.

Noting on government's role in establishing the price of
unhusked rice in the country, Bedu said during the seminar, the
government established the price to avoid a drastic plunge on the
price.

"The government establish the price to guarantee farmers fair
price for their productions," he said.

He said the government's effort the establish the price had
helped the country to become self sufficient in supplying the
consumers' need of to rice. (ahy/02)