Indonesian state plantation firm PT Perkebunan Nusantara X plans to import 50,000 tonnes of raw sugar to fill capacity during the cane milling season, which starts in May, a company official said on Thursday. The plan to import raw sugar was normal, aiming to fill idle capacity in sugar factories during the cane milling season because of lower cane supply.
"We will use the sugar to fill up capacity in our 11 sugar mills," Budi Hidayat, the firm's finance director said, adding it intended to apply for an import permit to the trade ministry. Indonesia's government influences prices by issuing import permits for different types of sugar, effectively restricting the inflow of cheaper grades into the country. White sugar production in Indonesia, Southeast Asia's largest sugar consumer, will climb by 16 percent this year due to drier weather, with planting rising by 3.5 percent, the Indonesian Sugar Association said on Monday.