JAKARTA — Indonesia could improve its sugar productivity by strengthening farm management, adopting digital technology, and improving coordination between sugarcane farmers and sugar mills. These are the key findings of a review by Loso Judijanto of IPOSS Jakarta, published in 2026 in the International Journal of Applied and Advanced Multidisciplinary Research.
The article, titled “Closing
Indonesia’s Sugar Yield Gap: Reconstructing Farm-to-Mill Productivity from
Historical Highs toward a Competitive, Digital, and Climate-Resilient Sugarcane
System,” explains that increasing sugar production requires more than
planting additional sugarcane. Productivity also depends on crop quality,
harvesting and transportation practices, and the efficiency of sugar mills.
The issue is important for
Indonesia because sugarcane production must support the country’s sugar supply
while helping farmers remain productive amid environmental and operational
challenges.
Indonesia’s Sugar Productivity
Challenge
According to figures cited in the
article from Indonesia’s Directorate General of Estate Crops, the country
produced approximately 39.07 million tonnes of sugarcane and 2.67 million
tonnes of sugar in 2025. Average sugarcane productivity was reported at around
69.35 tonnes per hectare.
The article also refers to
historical sugar yields in Java that approached 14.7 tonnes of sugar per
hectare around 1930. However, this historical figure should be treated as a
reference point rather than a directly comparable measure or a target for all Indonesian
sugar-producing regions. Farming conditions, production systems, and
measurement methods may differ across periods.
The review argues that the gap
between potential and actual sugar productivity cannot be explained by a single
problem. Sugar production is the result of a connected process that begins in
the field and continues through harvesting, transportation, and factory
processing.
Four Factors That Determine
Sugar Output
Judijanto identifies four major
areas that influence the amount of sugar obtained from each hectare of land.
The first is sugarcane biomass
productivity. The amount of cane harvested depends on factors such as crop
variety, soil conditions, water availability, nutrient management, and plant
health. Poor planting material, drought stress, pests, diseases, and declining
productivity in ratoon crops can reduce harvest volumes.
The second factor is sugar
content and cane quality. Producing a large quantity of sugarcane does not
automatically result in a large quantity of sugar. The sucrose content of the
harvested cane affects how much sugar can be recovered during processing.
Choosing varieties suited to local conditions and maintaining crop health can
help improve both cane production and quality.
The third factor is post-harvest
quality retention. Sugarcane quality can deteriorate between cutting and
processing. Delays in transportation, long waiting times at mills, and poorly
coordinated harvesting schedules can reduce the amount of recoverable sugar.
The fourth factor is factory
extraction and recovery efficiency. Even when farmers deliver good-quality
cane, inconsistent milling operations or inefficient processing can limit the
amount of sugar produced.
These factors are closely
connected. Improving field productivity alone may deliver limited benefits if
harvested cane deteriorates before reaching the factory or if the mill cannot
recover its sugar efficiently.
Better Farming Practices Can
Improve Productivity
The review highlights the
importance of using sugarcane varieties adapted to specific growing regions.
Suitable varieties should combine strong biomass production with high
recoverable sucrose content, while also offering resistance to diseases and
tolerance to water stress where needed.
Water and soil management are
equally important. Farmers need effective irrigation and drainage practices
suited to local conditions. Soil testing and balanced nutrient application can
help crops receive the nutrients they need without relying simply on higher
fertilizer use.
The article also emphasizes the
importance of managing ratoon crops, which grow from the stubble remaining
after sugarcane is harvested. When ratoon productivity declines, field renewal
may become necessary. Decisions should be based on field conditions rather than
applying the same approach to every plantation.
Mechanization can help improve
farm operations, but it needs careful management. Heavy machinery may compact
soil, potentially affecting water movement and root development. Controlled
traffic systems, which keep machinery on designated routes, can help reduce
unnecessary soil damage.
Together, these practices can
create a stronger foundation for improving sugarcane productivity before more
advanced technologies are introduced.
Digital Technology Can Connect
Farms and Factories
Digital technology offers another
opportunity to improve sugar production. Satellite imagery, drones, remote
sensing, and machine-learning tools can support crop monitoring, yield
forecasting, and early detection of possible disease problems.
Such information can help farmers
and plantation managers identify areas that need attention and plan harvesting
activities more effectively. Digital records can also help connect information
about fields, sugarcane varieties, harvest dates, transportation, and factory
recovery results.
However, technology alone cannot
solve the productivity problem. Digital tools are most useful when reliable
field information is available and farmers, transport operators, and sugar
mills use the information to make coordinated decisions.
The review therefore recommends
improving the scheduling of harvesting, transportation, and factory processing.
Reducing the time between cutting and milling can help protect cane quality and
limit avoidable losses.
Financial access and farmer
support also matter. Smallholder farmers may face difficulties obtaining
credit, suitable machinery, quality planting materials, and technical training.
Partnerships, machinery-service arrangements, and practical training can help
make improvements more accessible.
A Step-by-Step Strategy for a
More Competitive Sugar Industry
Rather than relying on a single
solution, the article proposes a phased approach to improving Indonesia’s
sugarcane system.
The first priority is to
strengthen basic agricultural practices, including planting materials, suitable
varieties, irrigation and drainage, soil fertility, crop protection, and ratoon
management.
The second stage is to improve
operational coordination through machinery services, soil-protecting field
practices, harvest scheduling, transportation infrastructure, and shorter
intervals between cutting and processing.
The third stage is to expand
digital monitoring and coordination. Field registries, satellite or drone
observations, AI-supported forecasts, digital schedules, and traceability
systems can help stakeholders make better-informed decisions.
More advanced breeding programs
and decision-support systems can then be developed according to regional needs
and readiness. The article notes that some stages may overlap rather than
follow a rigid sequence.
Progress should be measured using
more than the volume of sugarcane harvested. Relevant indicators include sugar
production per hectare, sucrose quality, transportation and mill waiting times,
factory recovery rates, production costs, farm profitability, water and
nitrogen-use efficiency, soil condition, and emissions.
A More Integrated and
Climate-Resilient Future
The review concludes that
Indonesia’s sugar productivity challenge is a system-wide issue involving
agriculture, logistics, factory operations, financing, and institutional
coordination. Improving only one part of the chain may not produce the best
results if weaknesses remain elsewhere.
A more competitive sugar industry
will require cooperation among farmers, sugar mills, technology providers, and
supporting institutions. Improvements must also consider environmental
sustainability and the participation of smallholder farmers, who are an
important part of the production system.
By combining sound agricultural
practices, better harvest-to-mill coordination, and appropriate digital tools,
Indonesia may be better positioned to improve sugar recovery and strengthen the
resilience of its sugarcane industry.
The central message is clear:
higher sugar productivity depends not only on growing more cane, but also on
preserving its quality and processing it efficiently.
Author Profile
Loso Judijanto is the
author of the article and is affiliated with IPOSS Jakarta. The publication
does not specify his academic degrees or provide a detailed formal expertise
profile.
Source Article
- Title: Closing Indonesia’s Sugar Yield Gap:
Reconstructing Farm-to-Mill Productivity from Historical Highs toward a
Competitive, Digital, and Climate-Resilient Sugarcane System
- Author: Loso Judijanto
- Journal: International Journal of Applied
and Advanced Multidisciplinary Research (IJAAMR)
- Publication year: 2026
- Volume and issue: Volume 4, Issue 9
- Pages: 901–922
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.59890/ijaamr.v4i9.316
- Journal website: https://journal.multitechpublisher.com/index.php/ijaamr
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