The Food Crop Directorate General said corn production in the past 5 years has increased by 12.49 percent annually on the average bringing the production this year to an estimated 30 tons in dry grains .
The estimate was confirmed by data of the size of harvest area that expanded 11.06 percent annually and 1.42 percent increase in productivity from year to year.
Meanwhile corn requirement, based on data from the Food Security Agency (BKP) was estimated to reach only 15.5 million tons this year including 10.28 million tons for animal feed, 120,000 tons set aside for seeds and 4.76 million tons for food industry .
"That means an exportable surplus of 12.98 million tons. In fact Indonesia already exports corn to the Philippines and Malaysia totaling 372,990 tons," Food Crop Director General Sumarjo Gatot Irianto said here on Thursday.
Gatot said in general Indonesia has good corn harvest. In western Indonesia, harvest takes place January-March every year contributing 37 percent to the country`s total production.
In Eastern Indonesia harvest takes place in April-May, he said.
The production centers are 10 provinces - East Java, Central Java, South Sulawesi, Lampung, North Sumatra, West Nusa Tenggara, West Java, Gorontalo, North Sulawesi and West Sumatra all counting for 24.24 million or 83.8 percent of the country`s total production.
Gatot acknowledged that corn price could rise at certain seasons but it does not mean a decline in annual production.
He said currently animal feed industry accounts for around 50 percent of the country`s corn consumption.
Among the factors that could cause an increase in feed price is that many factories are located too far from corn production center that logistic could be a problem, he said.
Currently the country has 93 animal feed factories located in various areas including 11 units in North Sumatra, 1 unit in West Sumatra, 5 units in Lampung, 16 units in Banten, 11 units in West Java, 6 units in Jakarta, 21 units in East Java, 1 unit in West Kalimantan, 2 units in South Kalimantan, and 7 units in South Sulawesi.
"Many of the factories such as those in Banten, Jakarta, West Kalimantan and South Kalimantan are far from corn producing areas, Gatot said.
In 2018, the government hopes not to import corn and seeks to supply consumers all with local production, he said.
Reporting by Mentari Dwi Gayati
Editing by A saragih, yoshep
Reporter: Antara
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
