Monagro sets up new plant

JAKARTA (JP): Herbicides and corn seed producer PT Monagro Kimia said on Saturday it would build a new hybrid corn seed plant to increase its production capacity and boost exports.

Monagro's sales manager Sidi Asmono said the plant would produce up to 10,000 C-5 and C-7 prime hybrid corn seeds to help meet the growing demand for hybrid corn seed.

However, he refused to disclose the investment for the plant, but said that the plant was expected to begin operating by 2001.

The company, a wholly owned subsidiary of U.S chemical giant Monsanto Co., is developing C-7 hybrid corn plantations in North and South Sumatra, West, East and Central Java, Bali, East Kalimantan, South and North Sulawesi and West Nusa Tenggara, covering over 80 hectares.

The new plant will process the hybrid corn produced by the plantations into prime hybrid corn seeds. Corn produced by the C- 5 and C-7 hybrid corn seeds is large, more resistant to disease and drought and has a stronger stem.

Sidi said locally produced hybrid corn currently reached 700 tons per year, far below the local demand of 8,000 tons per year. (gis)