JAKARTA, Feb 16 — Indonesia said today it is targeting sugar production of 2.996 million tonnes this year, which would exceed typical household consumption, eliminate the need for imports, and potentially create stocks.
As Southeast Asia’s biggest consumer of the sweetener, Indonesia’s output and imports can influence sugar prices, which surged to record levels recently.
Dometic sugar output, which is produced using sugar cane from local plantations, is only used for household consumption, which is estimated at around 2.7 million tonnes a year. Higher output this year could remove any import needs next year.
The bigger output “is a result of revitalisation of sugar mills and expansion of cane plantations,” Agriculture Minister Suswono told a seminar.
Last year, production only reached about 2.4 million tonnes, which was 11 per cent below the government’s target. The industry has criticised government targets in the past for being too optimistic.
Indonesia is also targetting rice output of 66.68 million tonnes of unhusked rice this year, against 63.84 million tonnes estimated for 2009.
Indonesia is the world’s number 3 rice consumer, and was still a major importer of rice in 2007, but has become self-sufficient over the past two years after ample domestic output, easing pressures on global demand.
The government also targetted corn output to rise to 19.8 million tonnes in 2010, from 17.7 million tonnes in 2009, and for soybean output to reach 1.3 million tonnes this year against 966,469 tonnes.
The ministry has targeted that Indonesia would become self-sufficient in sugar and soybean in 2014, following the success in rice and corn. — Reuters
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