Sugarcane Farmers Provide Key Inputs to the Government for Indonesia's Sugar Self-Sufficiency

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - Sugarcane farmers provide a concrete "recipe" for Indonesia to break free from sugar import dependency and achieve self-sufficiency. The key is not just large-scale expansion, but internal reform, namely intensification of land, data improvement, and the use of agricultural machinery (alsintan) suitable for domestic land conditions. General Chairman of the Indonesian People's Sugarcane Farmers Association (APTRI) Soemitro Samadikoen emphasized that the most crucial initial step is to improve the foundation of the national sugarcane sector, starting from data to real conditions in the field. "First, intensify (sugarcane land). Accurately data the existing plantation area. What is the size of our plantation area? Now, it always increases every year, is that true? It's not true. I have proof, it's not true. So this is not true," said Soemitro to CNBC Indonesia, Friday (10/4/2026). According to him, the government needs to conduct a thorough mapping of ...