"The spirit is to limit imports especially productivity of sugar farmers in the country has been improving," Gita said here on Saturday.
However, productivity needs to be improved by increasing the sugar content of farmers` canes, he said when visiting a sugar factory in this Central Java city.
Currently the sugar content of canes grown by Indonesian farmers averaged only between 6 to 7 percent.
Gita said Thailand, which learned sugar farming from Indonesia especially Java has succeeded in growing canes with high sugar content.
He said sugar content of cane grown by farmers in Thailands have reached 12 percent-14% .
Brazil also has similar success with sugar content of 12 percent, he said, adding "if other countries could we should also be able to increase the content or our sugarcane."
The government has announced target to be self sufficient in sugar supply in 2014, but until the country still relies on import for around half of its sugar requirement.
(H-ASG/O001)
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
