Garut, May 11 -- The Indonesian government has committed to significantly expanding sugar palm plantations as part of its national strategy to accelerate bioethanol production and achieve energy self-sufficiency, Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni announced.

"This (bioethanol) is a highly promising renewable energy source, and we possess vast agricultural land ideal for sugar palm cultivation," he said during a dialogue with forest farmers in Parakan Village, Garut District, West Java, on Saturday (May 10).

Antoni noted that President Prabowo Subianto has set a target to plant sugar palms on 1.2 million hectares of land, starting around 300 thousand hectares planned for development in 2025.

"The President has instructed that 300 thousa...