Sulaiman stated after a simultaneous corn planting in Pringsewu District of Lampung on Tuesday that Indonesia has recorded a zero import of corn in 2017, after it has succeeded to cut import by 62 percent in 2016 from 3.5 million tons of import in 2015.
"In the past, we targeted to import 3.6 million tons worth Rp10 trillion. Now, we are targeting to export 500 thousand tons this year. Even in the next year, we expect to export one million tons, through our farmers? enthusiasm," he remarked.
According to the first forecast of food crop production in 2018, corn production is targeted to reach 30.05 million tons, or up 7.34 percent from 2017.
"We are optimistic to reach the target, because corn harvesting area this year has reached 5.73 million hectares," he revealed.
One production center that could boost production is Lampung, which has contributed 8.6 percent to national corn production.
Corn harvesting area in the province has covered 486.313 hectares of land. With productivity of 5.3 tons per hectare, total production is targeted to reach 2.58 million tons.
Sulaiman emphasized that during the past four years, corn production has increased significantly.
A data of the Central Bureau of Statistic (BPS) showed corn production in 2014 to have reached 19 million tons.
It has recorded an increase to 19.6 million tons since 2015, 23.6 million tons since 2016, and it reached its highest level in 2017, at 28.94 million tons.
"Production has increased 22.4 percent compared to the previous year. As a result, Indonesia did not import corn in 2017, and it started to export the commodity to some countries," the minister noted.
The next corn export to the Philippine and Malaysia would be originated from Dompu District in Sumbawa Island, West Nusa Tenggara, he pointed out.
Reporting by Mentari Dwi Gayati
Editing by Sri Haryati
Reporter: Antara
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
