Khofifah confident East Java to achieve sugar self-sufficiency ahead of schedule
God willing, this backlog will soon ease as other sugar mills have also started processing. Ongoing improvements across various fronts aim to enhance production rhythm.
Surabaya (ANTARA) - East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa is optimistic that the province can achieve national sugar self-sufficiency targets sooner through increased sugarcane productivity and optimising sugar mill operations in the region.
“Thank God, the national target is sugar self-sufficiency. Therefore, productivity and land area must be strengthened, especially in East Java,” Khofifah said during her visit to the Ngadirejo Sugar Mill in Kediri Regency, as reported in Surabaya on Thursday.
During the visit, Khofifah observed the unloading of sugarcane from trucks, milling, filtering of sap, crystallisation, and packaging.
Factory activities were busy with sugarcane trucks queuing since morning to supply milling needs.
“God willing, this backlog will soon ease as other sugar mills have also started processing. Ongoing improvements across various fronts aim to enhance production rhythm,” she added.
Ngadirejo Sugar Mill, operated by PT Sinergi Gula Nusantara (SGN), has an installed crushing capacity of 7,000 tonnes of cane per day (TCD). During the 2025 milling season, the mill processed 10,676,262 quintals of sugarcane.
Khofifah said large crushing capacity must be accompanied by improved production quality, particularly through strengthening sugar yield (rendemen).
East Java currently contributes 51% to national sugar production. In 2025, the province’s white crystalline sugar output reached 1,343,995 tonnes, the highest in a decade.
This figure surpasses Lampung Province’s sugar production of approximately 663,198 tonnes and Central Java’s 344,243 tonnes.
According to the 2025 Sugar Outlook published by the Directorate General of Plantation, East Java’s average sugar production between 2021 and 2025 is 1.185 million tonnes annually, making it the largest contributor to national sugar production.
“Thank you and appreciation to all sugarcane farmers, sugar mills, plantation sector, and stakeholders for collaborating to maintain productivity and national sugar stability. This collaborative spirit is a key strength in achieving national sugar self-sufficiency by 2026,” she said.
Meanwhile, PT Sinergi Gula Nusantara’s President Director Mahmudi is optimistic that the national sugar self-sufficiency target can be achieved by the end of 2026.
“Even with a 1.5 million ton increase in sugarcane productivity in East Java this year, we hope Ngadirejo Sugar Mill becomes a pillar of national sugar self-sufficiency,” he said.