Indonesia: PTPN asks for sugar imports to be postponed

Reporter: Aurelia Lucretie | Editor: Wahyu T. Rahmawati KONTAN.CO.ID - JAKARTA. President Director of PT Perkebunan Nusantara (PTPN) Mohammad Abdul Ghani asked the government not to import sugar until farmers reach the sugar production targets that have been set. "Before farmers' productivity reaches 8 tons, please protect us from imported sugar. If imported sugar comes in we will die like crazy and farmers won't be able to improve their agronomy," he said at the DPR meeting, Tuesday (25/6). However, he guaranteed that if farmers' productivity reached 8 tons, they would be able to compete with imported sugar. Abdul added that if sugar production can reach the target, the government does not need to set sugar prices too high because farmers' HPP will also fall to IDR 6,300. "If it's Rp. 6,300, maybe you don't need to buy it now for Rp. 14,500, it's too expensive, sir. If it's too expensive, poor consumers," he added. According to him, when productivity rises to 8 tons, the ideal ...