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Govt to import 215,000 tonnes sugar, boosting supply during Ramadan
The government will import 215,000 tonnes of sugar to fill domestic supply demands expected to increase before the next milling season occurs.
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State-owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Erick Thohir visits state-owned sugar company Industri Gula Glenmore (IGG), owned by state-owned plantation company XII in Banyuwangi, East Java, on Sept. 18, 2021. (State-owned enterprises (SOEs) Ministry/Public relation teams)
T
he National Food Agency (NFA) will import 215,000 tonnes of sugar to maintain supply amid an increas in demand during Ramadan and Idul Fitri festivities.
NFA head Arief Prasetyo Adi said the agency has tasked the state-owned food holding ID Food and the state-run plantation holding PTPN Holding to execute the import.
The agency aims for the delivery of 99,000 tonnes of sugar that can reach Indonesia during the March-May period to help stabilize prices during Ramadan and Idul Fitri, while the rest is expected to enter the country gradually this year.
“We are speeding up procurement from overseas so it would not result in scarcity. Moreover, Ramadan and Lebaran come much closer to the beginning of the year, earlier than milling season,” Arief said in a statement on Sunday.
Read also: Govt ready to import 500,000 more tonnes of rice ‘if needed’
The first day of Ramadan started on March 23, while Idul Fitri is predicted to fall on Apr. 22.
The national sugar supply in January stood at 1.1 million tonnes, according to the NFA Food Balance Sheet, while monthly national sugar demand is projected to be around 283,000 tonnes. This means the supply would only be enough to sustain roughly 4 months consumption until May.
