Coordinating Minister Zulhas Has Not Given A Corn Industry Import Permit

Corn (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs (Menko Pangan) Zulkifli Hasan has not given the green light to import corn for industrial needs. According to him, it is still the corn harvest season.

For your information, the Ministry of Industry (Kemenperin) proposes imports of 3,000 tons of corn for the industry. This importation is planned because the corn needed for the industry has not been able to be produced domestically.

There was a suggestion from the Ministry of Industry for industrial corn. But we don't agree, because now it's a big harvest. Not much, 3,000 tons. Because this is what we can't produce yet," he said at the Office of the Coordinating Ministry for Food, Jakarta, Friday, May 16.

Zulhas, as Zulkifli Hasan is familiarly called, said that this import had not yet been decided. Moreover, the domestic price of corn has not yet reached the government's purchase price (HPP) of IDR 5,500 per kilogram (kg).

Therefore, continued Zulhas, the government wants the price of corn at the farmer level to reach the predetermined HPP.

"In some places the price of Corn has not been priced at Rp5,500, our government is all out so that Corn can be priced at Rp5,500," he said.

"That's why we import Corn even though it's a little, for industries that we haven't been able to allow us to do it yet, because now we are still harvesting," he continued.

For your information, the government has decided to stop importing corn before the main harvest in April 2024. This step is taken to ensure optimal absorption of domestically produced corn.