March 4, 2010

Indonesia to increase soy output to self-sufficiency level by 2014

 

The Indonesian government plans to reduce soy imports and try to increase domestic production so as to reach soy self-sufficiency by 2014.

"We want to reduce soy imports by 20% per year and increase domestic soy production by 20% per year so that by 2014 we can hopefully become self-sufficient in the commodity," Agriculture Minister Suswono said on Wednesday (March 3).

Suswono said domestic demand for soy was 2.1 million tonnes per year while domestic soy production was only 900 tonnes per year which requires the government to import 1.2 million tonnes.

He also expressed hope that soy import could be reduced to speed up domestic product by expanding the soy planting areas during the planting season.

To be self-sufficient in soy, the agriculture minister said new fields should be opened in the future to increase the domestic product.

"In the long term, we need to open new fields of soy centre such as in Aceh, East Java, and other provinces where soy can grow well," the minister said.