APTRI URGE GOVERNMENT TO PROTECT SUGARCANE FARMERS

Sumitro Sumasdikun, Chairman of the National Board of the Na­tional Board of Management Sugarcane Farmers Association, urged the Govern­ment to really protect sugarcane farmers who enthusiastically increase sugarcane production. “Ta pro­tect farmers, never import white crystal sugar or loosely issue permit import of radiated sugar without seeing the market situation” Sumitro disclosed to Business News.

Today performance of farmers and sug­arcanes were getting better. This was visible in sugar production which increased by 400,000 tons in 2011 to 2.2 million tons in 2012. “The 400,000 tons was not ignorable and could still be increased” he Said.

If the Government could build sound infrastructure and adequate transportation, Surnitro felt sure that sugar production could still increase. Losses in sugar industry was also high because sugarcane that entered the factory were over ripe due to transportation hindrances.

“If 20% losses could be suppressed, sugar production might reach 3 million tons. Under such circumstance import, raw sugar or crystal suger, must be re-considered” Sumitro said.

By 2013 sugar production would increase, some sugar mills also produced premium sugar. Un­der such circumstances food and beverages industry which was identical with rafinated sugar, must be reviewed.

“Its should never happen that as farmers in­creased their production, at the same time the market is flooded by rafinated sugar and smuggled sugar. If such ever happened, price would drop and farmers would be reluctant to plant sugarcane and the target end self-sufficiency in sugar could never be achieved” Surnitro remarked.

Today sugarcane farmers ware applying good cultivating techniques. For example variety management, farmers were no longer fanatical about planting certain varieties but were following sugar mills using early-ripe, medium-ripe and well-ripe sugarcanes so supply ht sugar to sugar mills from initial milling time to final remained constant and output could be maintainbed to remain always high.

“In the past farmers were fanatical about certain varieties which were mostly the latest varieties so during early milling time they ran short of sugar­canes and during final milling they had over supply of sugarcanes” he said.

The new technology brought in from Colum­bia known as bud chip seeding nursery had been exor­cised by farmers. By this tech no logy sugarcane trunk became thicker with higher auger content although it incurred high cost.

“The Government's role is also big. The aid in the form of retoon unloading is most helpful to small farmers. I do not receive aid of retoon unload­ing because I am not small farmer, I run tens of hectares of sugarcanes. The Government's aid for some­one like me is Food Resiliency Credit and energy with subsidized interest” Sumitro said.

Separately, Deputy Minister of Agriculture Rusman Heriawen stated that most likely this year wood not import white crystal sugar. “There is spirit of all parties that they wilt struggle all out to increase sugar production” he said.

In 2012 sugar production reached 2,591,687,9 tone with main contributor PTPN X 494,419 tons, PT Suger Group 416,735 tons, PTPN XI 409,072.3 tons, PT RNI 345,790.8 tons. PT Gu­nung Madu Plantation 190,842.3 tans, PT Kebon Agung 182,280 tons. PTPN IX 144,688 tone and PTPN VII 106,302.4 tons.

Compared to 2011, sugar production of 2013 rose by 16.31% (production 2011 2,228,259 tons) obtained from total area of 461,191.2 ha (an increase of 0.2% in 2011 450,298 ha), sugarcane production 31,888,279.9 tons (an increase of 5.16 in 2011 30,323,228 tons) sugarcane productivity 72.1 ton /ha (increasing by 7.13% in 2011 67,3 ton/ha) yields (up by 10.61% in 2012 7.35%) and productivity of 5.85 tons of sugar/ha (up against 2011 at 4.95%).

Stock of white sugar in 2012 was estimated at 3,664,849 tons consisting of initial stock of January 2012 603,187 tons; sugar production 2,591,688 tons, production of rafinated sugar with imported raw sugar as raw material amounting to 52,028 tons import of raw sugar by PPI and IGN and PTPN 1/5 January 15,134 tons; import of white crystal sugar 60,998 tons and production of IGN and PTPN 1/5 January 151,34 tons.

Meanwhile direct consumption reached 2,723,271 tons consisting of household consumption 1,805,800 par year, special (for meetings, cafeteria, restaurants) 523,633 ton, household consumption 283,838 ton and consumption 1/115 January 2013 110,000 tons.

In view of the present stock and consumption there was an estimated stock of 941,579 tons. According to Rusman this stock was sufficient for the next four months so import of sugar was not necessary.

Business News - February 08,2013