Realizing Sugar Self-Sufficiency, ID Food Collaborates With The Ministry Of Agriculture To Revitalize Sugar Factory

Photo Dok ID Food

JAKARTA - As a step to prepare to achieve self-sufficiency in sugar, the SOE Food Holding ID Food synergizes with the Ministry of Agriculture by increasing on-farm and off-farm performance.

One of them is the revitalization of the Sugar Factory managed by ID Food's subsidiary, PT PG Rajawali II.

President Director of Food Holding ID Food Frans Marganda Tambunan said that to boost contribution to national sugar production, ID Food is ready to synergize with the Ministry of Agriculture to revitalize sugar factories.

"ID Food's strategy in supporting sugar self-sufficiency is to increase off-farm performance through selective revitalization of sugar factories so that overall recovery is at least 86 percent," Frans said in an official statement, Monday, August 1.

In addition to optimizing the 6 sugar factories, Frans will also re-operate the Subang Sugar Factory with a land expansion of around 5,000 ha.

"On-farm performance will also be improved, one of which is farmer empowerment and farmer partnerships," said Frans.

To improve partnerships and farmers' welfare, Frans said that his party had made efforts, including involving smallholder sugarcane farmers' partners in the prosperous program in order to get guaranteed fertilizer availability and price guarantees.

Then, continued Frans, helping sugarcane farmers during land clearing by assisting in land processing at affordable prices or below market prices, farmers are provided with cutting and transport equipment assistance facilities such as pull tractors, carrying tractors, sugar cane trailers.

In addition, for the welfare of farmers, Frans said, in terms of funding for farmers his party will help sugarcane farmers to financing institutions for KUR funding, as well as offtake sugar cane farmers with a minimum price of Rp11,500 per kg.

From the technological aspect, Frans is also preparing to implement the application of agricultural technology (IT and Mechanization) in agricultural cultivation.

ID Food's steps in supporting sugar self-sufficiency are also carried out by BUMN synergies through expansion of the area as well as partnerships and Mandiri Sugarcane Agroforestry (ATM) with Perhutani.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo said sugarcane farmers are the main actors in sugar self-sufficiency.

Therefore, the program run by the Ministry of Agriculture in the context of achieving self-sufficiency in sugar focuses on increasing the capacity of farmers to increase sugarcane productivity and yield.

"Steps to prioritize sugar self-sufficiency include revitalizing sugar factories and increasing Farmer Partnerships. Sugar factories can play a role in determining and coordinating when farmers must fertilize, use seeds, plant, cut, load, transport," said Minister of Agriculture Syahrul.

Currently, continued Syahrul, the Agricultural Research and Development Agency (Balitbangtan) of the Ministry of Agriculture is boosting the development of superior seeds for priority commodities for self-sufficiency, one of which is sugarcane.

In addition, in order to increase sugarcane productivity, the Ministry of Agriculture through the Directorate General of Plantations has implemented a number of strategies. Among them are area stabilization, plant rehabilitation, provision of agro inputs in the form of fertilizers and superior seeds, provision of facilities and infrastructure.

"Increasing land productivity through the application of technical standards for cultivation and management of slash-and-load and transport (TMA), anticipation of climate change, and price fixing," he said.