Surabaya, East Java, June 12 -- Indonesia's Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman has sought the acceleration of deregulation, intensification, and expansion of sugarcane fields to build national sugar self-sufficiency within three years.

Sulaiman, during a meeting with state-run plantation company PTPN in Surabaya, East Java, on Wednesday, emphasized the importance of simplifying regulations that are no longer relevant and hinder the work of farmers and state-owned companies.

Deregulation is deemed necessary because inflexible regulations can impede technical decision-making that can boost productivity.

The minister further said that one of the root problems is the condition of sugarcane fields-86 percent of them are damaged or not...