Sragen, (ANTARA Jambi) - The government will build 10 units of sugar refineries in Java to increase the country's production and to cut dependence on import for that commodity.
"The plan to build 10 new factories including one in Sragen is expected to help the country achieve its self sufficiency target," Vice President Jusuf Kalla said when visiting the Mojo Sugar Factory of state plantation company PT Perkebunan Nusantara IX here on Friday.
Kalla said most of the sugar refineries are no longer efficient as the machines have been too old and outdated.
Therefore, new and more efficient factories with higher productivity are needed, to reduce production cost, he said.
He said operators of sugar refineries should seek to increase the sucrose content of their sugarcane to improve the quality of the sugar product.
The vice president accompanied by Coordinating Minister for Economy Sofyan Djalil and Trade Minister Rahmat Gobel.(Ant)
