Jakarta, Dec. 27 -- The Indonesian government is aiming to increase national sugar production to 3 million tons by 2026 as part of efforts to achieve sugar self-sufficiency, reduce imports, and strengthen food security.

Current national sugar output stands at around 2.68 million tons, Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman said in a statement on Saturday.

The target is intended to meet domestic demand for white sugar, he added.

To achieve this, the Ministry of Agriculture plans to expand and optimize sugarcane plantations to cover 100,000 hectares nationwide, with about 70,000 hectares located in East Java.

Sulaiman said the program involves cross-sector coordination among ministries, regional governments, state-owned enterprises, a...