The government plans to import sugarcane seeds from Colombia as part of efforts to achieve higher extraction rate of 10 percent.
Minister of Agriculture Suswono said that the government is committed to increase sugar production in the country among others via the increase in cane extraction rate. He said that the government is currently reviewing whether to use local crop variety or import to achieve the target.
Suswono explained that if extraction rate could increase to 10 percent, productivity of the national sugarcane acreage of 450,000 ha can be increased to 4.5 million tons of white crystal sugar per year, from the current 2.7 million tons.
“With the higher extraction rate, Indonesia could achieve self-sufficiency in sugar production, especially if the industry has also been revitalized,” he said. (rei)
