Surabaya, E. Java (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs, Zulkifli Hasan, has said he is optimistic that local sugarcane farmers will manage to fulfill national consumption sugar needs, which are expected to reach around 3 million tons this year.

"I believe that if we look at the enthusiasm of sugarcane farmers, we will have a surplus (of sugar). Now, all abandoned land is planted with sugarcane until the price of land, like in Malang, has gone up," he added during a coordination meeting on food in Surabaya, East Java, on Tuesday.

The government has decided not to import consumption sugar this year, with the expectation that domestic needs will be met through local production.

Since the government has decided to stop sugar imports, he said, local farmers have become more enthusiastic about producing the commodity.

Hasan said that while he was visiting Lumajang and Malang—two regencies in East Java—he saw that many lands that were previously lying idle had become productive, especially for growing sugarcane.

East Java is the nation's largest sugar producer and accounted for 52 percent of the national production in 2024.

The government will also help boost the production of sugar by developing new seeds, carrying out plantation management, and collaborating with micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

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