Facing Food And Energy Security Challenges, PTPN III And Forestry Debit Launching And Superior Products For Sugar Production, Palm Oil And Kayu

Photo: Doc. Antara

JAKARTA - PT Perkebunan Nusantara (PTPN) III together with Perum Perhutani launched seeds and superior plantation and forestry products. This seeds and superior product are the result of research by the Indonesia Plantation & Foresty Research Institute (IP-FRI).

This launch is to increase production capacity to respond to threats of energy crisis and food crisis.

Deputy Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) I Pahala Nugraha Mansury said this superior product aims to increase sugar, palm and wood production.

Furthermore, Pahala explained that the newly launched superior product could cover various food needs and industries that were still imported.

"In the future, the challenges of food security and energy security that we face today can be a solution for Indonesia. We hope that it will be in Perhutani and PTPN Group," he said at the launch of the Indonesia Plantation & Forestry Research Institute at Agro Plaza, Wednesday, September 21.

Pahala said, this is in line with the challenges of food security where Indonesia is still importing 4 million tons of sugar per year for consumption and industry. Therefore, Pahala hopes that Indonesia will be able to self-sufficiency in sugar consumption in the next 5 years.

"And as a form of industrial needs, it can be met," he explained.

In the future, Pahala hopes that Indonesia will also be able to create new varieties for sugar cane in order to kill the increase in sugar and sugar cane productivity in the future. However, said Pahala, this is inseparable from the ability to do research.

"Hopefully we can produce new sugarcane varieties to ensure that sugar and sugar cane productivity in the community can be increased. It turns out that the connection between productivity, cannot be separated from our ability to do research, in agro-industrial companies, research occupies a strategic position. There is even a director of self-research, given the importance and strategic importance of the research function," he said.