REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman said that the ministry would focus on efforts to increase horticulture productivity, including soybean, chili, and onion, in 2018.

"We want to solve the issue on how to use our budget in productive way one by one. We have soybean, chili, and onion in the horticulture sector; cattle in farming sector; and sugar in plantation sector. We have to be focused," Amran said after a plenary cabinet meeting at the State Palace on Tuesday.

In 2016, the ministry had focused on efforts to increase chili, rice, and onion production, while in 2017, it would focus on corn production. However, Amran noted that there was no demand for corn export as of April.

Earlier in the day, President Joko Widodo, at the opening of the cabinet meeting, had called on the Agriculture Minister to increase horticulture production.

According to Jokowi, the country's rice production could meet domestic demand and secure the supply of unhusked rice.

"Usually during Jan-Feb-March, we have the lowest level of stock. But now, we have plenty of stock ahead of the harvesting season," Jokowi remarked. 

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