Supporting Smallholder Sugarcane Plantation Development, Agriculture Minister Amran Optimistic National Sugar Production Will Increase
The Minister of Agriculture, Amran Sulaiman, is encouraging national sugarcane productivity to strengthen domestic sugar security and expresses optimism that national sugar production will continue to rise.
“Hopefully, we will not need to import white sugar. The way to achieve this is to ensure that 86 per cent of smallholder sugarcane plasma plantations are not dismantled; therefore, the President has instructed us to be allocated a budget to maintain these plasma areas,” Amran stated in a briefing on Tuesday, 1 September 2026.
Amran recently inspected the sugarcane plantations of Sugar Group Companies (SGC) in the Gedung Meneng District, Tulang Bawang Regency, Lampung. He also expressed his appreciation for SGC’s contribution, which is considered to have had a significant impact on the economy and employment absorption.
“You have done great work for the country; your total workforce stands at 40,000 employees,” Amran remarked during his visit to the SGC sugarcane plantation.
According to the Minister, the presence of companies with large-scale operations and significant workforces plays a vital role in driving the economy while supporting the development of the agricultural sector in regional areas.
Amran hopes that the commitment of national sugar companies can continue to be strengthened, in line with the government’s steps to increase domestic sugar production. Increasing sugarcane productivity is seen as a crucial part of meeting national needs and reducing dependence on imports.
Amran stated that the government is currently encouraging land optimisation and the enhancement of sugarcane productivity, including through the development of smallholder sugarcane plantations. This step is expected to strengthen the raw material supply while simultaneously boosting national sugar production.
He noted that collaboration between the government, sugar companies, and farmers is one of the essential factors in achieving the established production targets.
Consequently, Amran expressed his support for SGC and other national sugar companies to continue increasing productivity and contributing to the achievement of the national sugar production target of 3 million tonnes.
“We support efforts to ensure high production. Hopefully, we can reach 100 tonnes per hectare,” said Amran.
He emphasised that increasing land productivity is a key element in strengthening the national sugar industry. With improved productivity, the government is optimistic that domestic white sugar requirements can be met more optimally.
The visit to the SGC plantation is part of the government’s efforts to directly observe the development of the national sugar sector while encouraging productivity increases at the plantation level.