The government is currently in the process of revising the 2014 sugar roadmap as it finally acknowledges that it would be very difficult to achieve the self-sufficiency in sugar production target.
Director General of Plantation Gamal Nasir was quoted by Investor Daily on Monday as saying that the Ministry of Agriculture and other related ministries are currently in the process of revising the sugar roadmap, which envisages that the country’s sugar output will reach 5.7 million tons by 2014, enough to meet the entire domestic demand.
But Gamal said that it now looks impossible to meet the target due to a number of problems including the availability of 350,000 ha of land for sugarcane expansion, and timely schedule of the construction of new sugar mills and the rehabilitation of aging mills.
He said that the availability of land is the most crucial. He said that his office had identified some potential areas, but it has now been converted for other purposes including housing. (rei)
