Zulkifli Hasan, The Minister Of Food, Visits SGN: Thank You, Food Self-Sufficiency Heroes

Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan visited the sugarcane fields and the Kwalamadu sugar factory on Tuesday (January 21) after holding a limited coordination meeting with related ministries, the Sumatra Utara regional leadership, and state-owned enterprises, including PT Sinergi Gula Nusantara (SGN), a subsidiary of PT Perkebunan Nusantara III (Persero).

"I noticed that the fields here are not as good as those in Lumajang and Malang. The production in Lumajang and Malang can exceed 100 tons per hectare, possibly reaching 120 to 150 tons per hectare. However, here it is below 70 tons per hectare, and revitalization is planned," Zulkifli stated.

He expressed hope for a change in planting patterns and the use of new sugarcane varieties, as the current ones are outdated.

"This includes the need to replace the seeds, as they are old and need updating. In two years, we expect production to increase by 100 percent," he added.

The Minister also praised PTPN Group and SGN for their commitment to supporting the government's initiative for food independence and national sugar self-sufficiency.

"They are working hard and sincerely. I want to thank Pak Ghani and Pak Mahmudi for being our heroes in achieving food self-sufficiency," said the Minister.

It is known that PTPN III (Persero) through PT Sinergi Gula Nusantara (SGN) has been tasked with ensuring the self-sufficiency of sugar consumption and eventually national sugar self-sufficiency as per Presidential Regulation 40 of 2023.

During the visit, the President Director of SGN affirmed their commitment to increasing production through the initiatives being implemented to meet the sugar needs of Sumatra Utara.

Previously, PG supported about 20% of the sugar needs in North Sumatra. It is expected that in the next three years, this support will increase to around 50 to 60%. This will help reduce the price gap between Java, Bali, and North Sumatra. I believe this is the task assigned to us, said Mahmudi.

The event was attended by Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan, Minister of Trade Budi Santoso, Assistant Deputy for Industry and Plantation Fathurrohman, Acting Governor of North Sumatra Agus Fatoni, President Director of PTPN III Persero Moh. Abdul Ghani, President Director of SGN Mahmudi, and General Manager of PG Kwalamadu along with their teams.

SGN Involves the Community in Sugarcane Farming

As part of achieving food independence, the Coordinating Minister for Food hopes for collaboration with local governments to involve the community in sugarcane farming. This has high economic value, which can improve welfare and help achieve sugar self-sufficiency.

"I also invited the regent and members of the DPR to identify areas suitable for sugarcane cultivation because it is very profitable. In North Sumatra alone, we need 150 thousand tons, not including Aceh, which also needs 150 thousand tons. Currently, we only produce 30 thousand tons, so there is a significant shortfall. We encourage suitable areas for sugarcane. We invite the community to collaborate with companies to secure raw materials for greater profits," said Zulkifli Hasan.

Meanwhile, Mahmudi mentioned plans to expand sugarcane land through partnerships with local farmers.

"Currently, our sugarcane area is 6,200 hectares. By 2027, we plan to increase it to 9,000 hectares spread across Kuala Madu and Semayang. We are also tasked with expanding sugarcane farming among local farmers. We have already communicated with the regents of Langkat and Binjai. We will follow up to expedite the assigned tasks," explained Mahmudi.

Tag: Sugar Factory Zulkifli Hasan