Jakarta, Sept. 2 -- Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman expressed optimism about the growth of national sugar production, saying strategic government support would boost domestic sugarcane yields and help reduce Indonesia's reliance on white sugar imports.

"Hopefully, we will not need to import white sugar," Amran said during a working visit to the Sugar Group Companies (SGC) sugarcane plantation in Tulang Bawang District, Lampung.

In a statement issued Tuesday (September 1), Amran highlighted that approximately 86 percent of smallholder sugarcane plasma plantations require crop replacement to restore optimal yields.

To address the issue, President Prabowo Subianto has directed the allocation of government funds to assist farmers ...