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Govt Affirms Raw Sugar Import to Stabilize Prices

13

Jun

Govt Affirms Raw Sugar Import to Stabilize Prices

"The government's efforts to lower the price of sugar involve various parties, one of which is the BUMN state company. In a Limited Meeting of the [...]

Govt Affirms Raw Sugar Import to Stabilize Prices. `The government's efforts to lower the price of sugar involve various parties, one of which is the BUMN state company. In a Limited Meeting of the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, PTPN has committed to lowering the price of sugar to Rp12,500 per kilogram,` said Trade Minister Thomas Lembong in a working meeting with the Indonesian House of Representatives in Jakarta on Thursday evening. Thomas said that PTPN plans to provide a guarantee of certain income for sugar cane farmers equivalent to a yield of 8.5 percent through a new system, namely the purchase of raw sugar cane at Rp55,652 per quintal. Thomas explained that the system is an update of the previous profit-sharing system, in which PTPN believes that the system of guaranteeing farmers' incomes requires a huge cost, most of which can be taken from the processing of raw sugar equivalent to 381,000 tons. `It is hoped that PTPN can provide permission for the importation of raw sugar and can process it after the milling season is finished, namely in October 2016, in order to replenish the early 2017 stock. It is hoped that this approach can lower the price of sugar and provide income guarantees for sugar cane farmers in the future,` Thomas said. Thomas added that as of now, his party has not yet issued a permit for the importation of raw sugar, but soon a discussion will be held during a coordination meeting because the decision cannot be postponed for too long. `It is true that the permit has not yet been issued. Perhaps in the coming week, we will hold a food coordination meeting and we cannot postpone it too long. Perhaps in the coming week, a decision will be made,` Thomas said. Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Indonesian Sugarcane Farmers Association (APTRI), Abdul Wachid, supports the government's plan to import 381,000 tons of raw sugar. `The importation of raw sugar, which will be carried out by PTPN X, is a policy that will increase the milling capacity of the sugar factories owned by PTPN,` Wachid said. The government, through Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises Letter Number S-288/MBU/05/2016, has submitted a request to the Minister of Trade, Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Industry for a raw sugar import permit. The government has also assigned PT Perkebunan Nusantara (PTPN) X to carry out the raw sugar importation, which will later be allocated to PTPN IX, PTPN X, PTPN XI, PTPN XII, PT PG Rajawali I and PT PG Rajawali II.
Editor: Ruslan Burhanihttp://www.antaranews.com/berita/566417/pemerintah-tegaskan-impor-raw-sugar-untuk-stabilisasi-harga

Trade ministry: Papuan coffee has huge export potential

13

Jun

Trade ministry: Papuan coffee has huge export potential

"The local industry includes coffee. I think one of the specific targets of this working visit is related to coffee. The Trade Ministry team [...]

Trade ministry: Papuan coffee has huge export potential. `The local industry includes coffee. I think one of the specific targets of this working visit is related to coffee. The Trade Ministry team identified (coffee) as having great potential,` Thomas said in Jayapura, Papua province, on SundayThomas said that the advantage of Papuan coffee is its superior taste because the Arabica type of coffee planted on the highlands has a sweeter aroma compared to other Arabica coffee types, and not many areas in Indonesia have that advantage.`I also learned a lot from business actors that the taller the Arabica coffee is planted, the sweeter its aroma. It seems that there are not many areas in Indonesia that are optimal like that, only Papua has the best potential and it just needs to improve farmer guidance and processing,` Thomas said.Thomas explained that at the moment, particularly in Dogiyai district, Papua province, guidance and investment in infrastructure, machinery, and packaging equipment are still needed.`I was told by one of the trainers in the Dogiyai coffee center that the machinery used was donated by Japan in 1975, so a little investment may be needed. Indeed, it has to be end-to-end, and perhaps the market can play a role,` Thomas said.According to Thomas, an integrated scheme can be implemented later, such as the provision of a collection, drying, and processing location near the traditional market.The coffee plantations in the Dogiyai district are plantations left behind by Dutch missionaries in the 1890s. In that era, most of the Dogiyai community were coffee farmers. As time passed, the community started to plant less coffee and switched to working as construction laborers to earn quick money.Meanwhile, The Head of the Strategic Issues Management Center of the Trade Ministry, Ni Made Ayu Marthini, said that the Dogiyai district also had five coffee SMEs. One of them was supervised by a church pastor. Apart from the plantation left by the Dutch, there was also a one-hectare coffee plantation in the Dogiyai district belonging to the Catholic Schooling Education Foundation (YPPK) junior high school.`This school includes coffee education in its teaching curriculum, so the students are taught how to harvest and process coffee at school,` Made said.Made hopes that Papuan coffee can penetrate the export market in the next three years and that it can be served at the 2020 National Sports Week (PON) in Papua.
Editor: B Kunto Wibisono
http://www.antaranews.com/berita/566931/mendag-nilai-kopi-papua-miliki-potensi-ekspor-besar

GAPMMI: Sugar supply disruption is getting worse

10

Jun

GAPMMI: Sugar supply disruption is getting worse

"The production has been slightly disrupted due to the hampered supply. The government should have anticipated this from the beginning," said GAPMMI [...]

GAPMMI: Sugar supply disruption is getting worse. `The production has been slightly disrupted due to the hampered supply. The government should have anticipated this from the beginning,` said GAPMMI Chairman Adhi S. Lukman in Jakarta on Thursday (June 9) night.Due to the issue, Adhi said that the food and beverage industry had difficulties and had no other choice but to maintain the price. If they want to change the price at consumer level, they need to issue a notice one month in advance.The situation is worsened by the delayed milling season that was initially estimated to start at the end of May 2016 due to the rainy season. `During the rainy season, the cane yield is low and the output is not significant,` he said.He said that until to date, there were at least 10 food and beverage companies that had declared that they were in a very concerning situation. Several of the companies need 70,000 tons of sugar supply per year, while the supply they received so far for the first semester was only 30,000 tons. `At least 40,000 tons of sugar should have been available in the first semester. That is the reason why they called me and said they were in an SOS situation, or save our soul, as they are afraid that they will experience a sugar supply shortage before Eid,` he said.The GAPMMI itself will meet with the Ministry of Commerce to discuss this issue. In addition, the business group, together with Kadin, will also conduct a direct inspection of the price of goods sold in the market.The Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) also regrets the shortage in the industrial sugar stock. Apindo Chairman Hariyadi Sukamdani said that the food and beverage companies had been sacrificed for the provision of consumer sugar.If this situation is allowed to continue, Hamdani is convinced that it will cause problems, both at the level of producers and consumers.`This issue must be resolved and must receive serious attention. We urge the government to sort out the bureaucracy related to the industrial sugar, and properly manage the available data,` he said.
Editor: B Kunto Wibisonohttp://www.antaranews.com/berita/566438/gapmmi-keluhkan-tersendatnya-suplai-gula++++++++++++++++++++

Ambassador: Palm oil tax still discussed until mid-june

07

Jun

Ambassador: Palm oil tax still discussed until mid-june

Therefore, he said in Jakarta, Monday, decision making process regarding the implementation of the progressive tax will be delayed from the original [...]

Ambassador: Palm oil tax still discussed until mid-june. Therefore, he said in Jakarta, Monday, decision making process regarding the implementation of the progressive tax will be delayed from the original time schedule, which was planned to be right after the French National Assembly meeting on 15 March. `The parliaments discussion of the Bill will still take place until mid June and the tax implementation for the palm oil producing countries is still under consideration,` said Breuze. The French Government is planning on implementing a progressive tax on all palm oil products with the aim of balancing the tax for such product with the tax for other oil products, such as olive oil and sunflower oil. Furthermore, the palm oil tax is considered to be too low, especially considering that its cultivation process damages the ecosystem and causes deforestation. Regarding this French plan, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and President of the French Republic Francios Hollande had also had a bilateral meeting in Shima Japan on Friday, 27 May in which palm oil tax was one of the discussed themes. `Yes, it is true that at that time, both presidents had met. The meeting discussed how the two countries (Indonesia and France) could closely maintain the cooperation. However, the information for Indonesia is still under discussion,` he said. Nonetheless, Breuze also conveyed that his government finds it important to help Indonesia sell its products in France and even Europe. `Other than that, we are also very interested in investing in Indonesia to help its development,` he said.
Editor: Ruslan Burhanihttp://www.antaranews.com/berita/565683/dubes-pajak-sawit-didiskusikan-hingga-pertengahan-juni

Indonesian coffee creates a buzz at Taste of Amsterdam

07

Jun

Indonesian coffee creates a buzz at Taste of Amsterdam

Minister Counsellor for Sociocultural Affairs at the Indonesian Embassy in The Hague, Azis Nurwahyudi, said to the Antara News Agency in London on [...]

Indonesian coffee creates a buzz at Taste of Amsterdam. Minister Counsellor for Sociocultural Affairs at the Indonesian Embassy in The Hague, Azis Nurwahyudi, said to the Antara News Agency in London on Monday that the event was an annual culinary promotional activity hosted by various restaurants in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, for upper-middle class consumers.  The Indonesian Embassy in the Hague participated by featuring an Indonesian Coffee House theme to promote Indonesian coffee. Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi also attended the event during her transit in Amsterdam on her way from Paris to Jakarta.  This year, the Indonesian Embassy in the Hague presented an Indonesian Coffee House that was opened by Ambassador I Gusti Agung Wesaka Puja and attended by several entrepreneurs interested in importing Indonesian coffee, journalists, travel agents and other invitees.  Ambassador Puja said that the Taste of Amsterdam was an Indonesian culinary diplomacy event. This was the third time the Indonesian Embassy in the Hague had participated in this three-year event. In 2016, the theme of the event was to promote Indonesian coffee.  He said that coffee had become part of the history of relations between Indonesia and the Netherlands because it was Dutch traders who brought coffee beans to Indonesia in the 17th century.  According to the ambassador, coffee is one of Indonesia's key export commodities. Indonesia is the fourth largest coffee producer in the world. In 2015, Indonesia's coffee production was recorded at 550 thousand tons.  For four days, the Indonesian Coffee House was full of visitors. By the end of the event, 7,001 people had visited and enjoyed coffee and various Indonesian specialties. Of those visitors, 5,314 people had tasted the coffee that was distributed for free. During the Taste of Amsterdam, the Indonesian Embassy in the Hague worked together with Tanamera Coffee in Jakarta to provide Gayo and Malabar Natural coffee from Aceh. Coffee enthusiasts in the Netherlands were impressed by the special taste of Indonesian coffee. Visitor Harry Puts also gave positive feedback on the taste of Indonesian Coffee. He suggested that Indonesian coffee should continue to be prepared without being mixed with coffee from other regions. `This coffee is delicious,` he said while sipping Malabar Natural. Meanwhile, Michelle Spoelst said that she enjoyed the savory taste of Gayo coffee from Aceh. It was so delicious, she had asked for another glass.  Several café owners and food importers contacted the Indonesian Embassy in the Hague and expressed interest in starting to sell coffee in the Netherlands. Indonesian food was served by a group of Indonesian chefs living in the Netherlands called Indonesia Satu. They provided chicken satay, goat satay, ketoprak, soto betawi, and various traditional snacks like klapertaart, nastar, onde-onde, kue semprong and stuffed tofu.  Many visitors were willing to wait in a long line for their favorite chicken satay while enjoying coffee and various snacks.  In addition to being indulged with coffee and food, visitors to the Indonesian Coffee House were also serenaded by music from young bands such as Sedayu Band and Bandit Band, as well as singers Dimas and Ayu who performed various Indonesian songs, including inviting visitors to sing and dance along.  Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi visited the Indonesian Coffee House while she was in transit in Amsterdam on her way from Paris to Jakarta. She had the opportunity to meet with the Indonesia Satu culinary team and the Indonesian diaspora.  According to the committee, the 2016 Taste of Amsterdam was attended by 125 renowned restaurants and cafés from all over the Netherlands and its duration was extended by one day. Each year this event is attended by around 30,000 visitors, primarily people of productive age. It is estimated that each visitor spends 50 euros on food and drinks at the event. 
Editor: B Kunto Wibisonohttp://www.antaranews.com/berita/565692/kopi-indonesia-ciptakan-rekor-di-taste-of-amsterdam

06

Jun

RNI Holds "Cheap Sugar" Market Operation in West Java

Market operations were conducted in 12 traditional markets spread across five West Java regencies/cities: Cirebon Regency, Indramayu Regency, [...]

RNI Holds "Cheap Sugar" Market Operation in West Java. Market operations were conducted in 12 traditional markets spread across five West Java regencies/cities: Cirebon Regency, Indramayu Regency, Majalengka Regency, Subang Regency, and Cirebon City.
In this market operation, RNI sold sugar at Rp12,500 per kilogram (kg), while the current market price of sugar has touched Rp18,000 per kg.
“We have sufficient sugar that is ready to be distributed to help the public obtain sugar at a lower price,” stated RNI President Director Didik Prasetyo, in his official statement in Jakarta on Saturday (4/6/2016).
PT RNI prepared 100 tons of sugar in the market operation, supplied by four Sugar Mills (PGs): PG Sindanglaut, PG Tersana Baru, PG Jatitujuh, and PG Subang.
These PGs are owned by the PT PG Rajawali II Cirebon which is a subsidiary of PT RNI. To prevent abuse, each member of the public may only purchase a maximum of three kg of sugar.
The 12 (twelve) locations where the Market Operation will be carried out are spread across several regions as follows:
Cirebon Regency will operate in Karangsuwung Market, Lemahabang Market, Pabuaran Market, and Babakan Market.
Cirebon City will operate in Morning Market, Kali Tanjung Market, and Perumnas Market. Market operations will be carried out in Tukdana Market and Pasar Amis in Indramayu Regency. Meanwhile, in Majalengka Regency, the operation will take place in Jatitujuh Market.
As for Subang Regency, the market operation will take place in Purwadadi Market and Cikaum Market.
Didik added that, as a State-Owned Enterprise operating in the sugar industry, RNI is more responsible in joining the government’s efforts to stabilize the price of sugar, which will soon increase in the lead up to Ramadan.
(Read: Gara-gara Gula, Inflasi Mei Bisa Di Atas 1 Persen!)

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