ur target is to increase the processing capacity to 15,000 TCD, provided that the raw material is available."Malang, East Java (ANTARA News) - The PG Krebet Baru will expand the processing capacity of its sugar mill in the regency of Malang, East Java, by phases until 2017.
The company will invest Rp300 billion for the expansion of processing capacity to 15,000 tons of cane per day (TCD) by 2017,.
"Our target is to increase the processing capacity to 15,000 TCD, provided that the raw material is available," General Manager of PG Krebet Baru Audry H Jolly Lapian said.
In 2013, the processing capacity target was set at 12,000 TCD, but production fell short of the target at 10,500 TCD to 11,000 TCD, Audry said here on Thursday.
The cane harvest of the farmers would not be fully absorbed because of weather anomaly, he said.
Currently the mill has a processing capacity of 12,000 TCD and a sugar plantation of 21,000 hectares.
The factory need up to 19 million quintals of cane per year to be in operation at full capacity.
Audry said 21,000 hectares of sugar plantation would be needed to feed the mill with a processing capacity of 12,000 TCD.
Therefore, the sugar plantation has to be expanded to 24,000 hectares to guarantee supply of cane when the processing capacity of the mill would be expanded to 15,000 TCD in 2017.
However, expansion of the plantation is expected to be not more than 100 hectares per year, he said, adding, therefore, it would not be easy to meet the target in 2017.
There are wide open land in Malang but the land may not be good for sugarcane growing, he said.
PG Krebet Baru would be willing to provide the local farmers with free seedlings if their lands are suitable for sugarcane plantation.
(Uu.H-ASG/O001)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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