The road’s completion is expected to significantly bring down operational costs for sugarcane farmers in Jember Regency who transport their harvests to Glenmore Sugar Factory in Banyuwangi Regency.
“Sirs and Madams, we will immediately follow up on your concern,” Vice President Gibran told the farmers during a dialogue here on Monday.
Siswono, a sugarcane farmer from Jember, said that currently, local farmers transport their harvests via a treacherous route through Gumitir Mountain, incurring significant risk.
“We hope the central government will continue the construction of the Banyuwangi-Jember JLS, which only has a small section (around 8 kilometers) left to connect Jember and Banyuwangi through Glenmore sub-district,” he said while sharing his concerns with Gibran.
In addition to simplifying the route for sugarcane shipments from Jember to the Banyuwangi sugar factory, the Southern Ring Road would also lower the transportation costs of harvested sugarcane, the farmer added.
“Our hope is that the construction of the Banyuwangi-Jember JLS can resume and be completed,” Siswono said.
The development of the ring road is projected to accelerate economic activity in the southern region of Java as well as foster new economic opportunities in the area, such as tourism and agriculture.
Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka is on a two-day working visit to Banyuwangi Regency to review various programs in the agricultural sector, discuss initiatives for boosting the local economy, and engage in dialogues with local farmers and residents.
Deputy Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), Aminuddin Ma’ruf, and Minister of Agriculture, Andi Amran Sulaiman, have accompanied him for the visit, which ends Tuesday (June 24, 2025).
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Reporter: Novi Husdinariyanto, Uyu Liman
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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