REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, KUDUS - Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan said the government is seeking to reduce dependence on imports for sugar to open more opportunities for local producers to compete in domestic market. "The spirit is to limit imports especially when productivity of sugar farmers in the country has been improving," Gita said on Saturday. 

However, productivity needed to be improved by increasing the sugar content of farmers` canes, he said when visiting a sugar factory in this Central Java city. 

Currently the sugar content of canes grown by Indonesian farmers averaged only between 6 to 7 percent. 

Gita said Thailand, which learned sugar farming from Indonesia especially Java, succeeded in growing canes with high sugar content. He said sugar content of cane grown by farmers in Thailands have reached 12 percent-14 percent.

Brazil also books a success with its 12 percent of sugar content, he said then added "If other countries could, then we also could!" 

The government has announced target to be self sufficient in sugar supply in 2014. Yet, until now the country still relies on import for around half of its domestic needs. 

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