REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, KARANGANYER -- Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman said Indonesia will import doubble-refined sugar for industry not white or raw sugar as widely reported.

The minister criticized the mass media for the inaccuracy of reporting , saying "the mass media say only sugar that the public interpreted as white sugar."

"What we plan to import is not white sugar nor raw sugar, but double-refined sugar for industry," he said here on Tuesday.

Amran said the country needs white sugar and refined sugar to feed industries such as beverage industry.

He said the country's production capacity of white sugar is 2.7 million tons per year as against consumption of 4.8 million-5 million tons a year.

"Imports are certainly needed but the type of sugar to be imported is double refined sugar for industry," he said.

Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo said that imports should be made after all farmers' sugar has been used .

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