TEMPO.CO, Bantul - The Indonesian government has set the target of sugar production for 2017 at 1.2 million tons, Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita said.

"The target for sugar production for this year will not be reduced. We hope our sugar production will reach a minimum of 1.2 million tons this year," he said after visiting the Madukismo sugar mill in Bantul district, Yogyakarta province, on Friday evening (April 21).

The national sugar production will come from all sugar mills in the country, including those operated by state plantation companies and other state-owned companies.

However, the targeted national sugar production of 1.2 million tons will still be far below the total needs, he said.

"It is not enough. It is not enough. Therefore, we will still import sugar. The import depends on our sugar production," he said.

He further said the countrys demand for sugar has reached nearly three million tons per year.

To control sugar prices, the government has set the upper retail prices (HET) and these prices have been applied to retail markets and traditional markets, the minister said.

"We have set HET. The prices have been in place. We began to apply the prices to modern retail shops at Rp12,500 per kilogram. In the traditional market, sugar prices have begun to decline from Rp13,500 -Rp13,700 to an average of Rp13,000 per kilogram," he added.

ANTARA