The minister said here on Friday that the shortage of sugar supply was based on the calculation of the country`s crystal white sugar production at 2.3 million to 2.4 million tons.
"We are still calculating the exact volume of sugar need and how to cover the shortage," the deputy minister said at the trade ministry office.
He said that the government did not rule out the possibility of importing sugar to cover the shortage in the first several months next year.
However, he said, the government would be careful in deciding the importation of sugar in order that it would not cause disincentive for the sugar production activities at home in the 2012 milling seasons.
He said that the government usually set an import quota based on several matters such as production, remaining stocks, the need for consumption and for industries and the production capacity of idle sugar factories at home.
Earlier, the Indonesian Sugar Council (DGI) predicted that the country`s sugar production in 2011 would be at 2.3 million tons, lower than the production target set at 2.7 million tons.
With that prediction, the remaining stock at the end of the year is estimated at 744,306 tons, according to DGI. The need for sugar in the first five months of 2012 is estimated at 1.1 million tons.
The average monthly need for sugar at home is 220,000 tons.***5***
(A014/A/HAJM/19:37/a014)
(T.SYS/B/A014/B/A014) 25-11-2011 20:03:28
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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