Asia Times - News and analysis from throughout Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia

South Koreans order Indonesian corn

GORONTALO, North Sulawesi - South Korean businessmen have ordered a million tons of corn a year from the Indonesian province of Gorontalo, a provincial official said, far in excess of the province's current production..

"The quality of the province's corn is very good. That's why they have placed the order," Djamaluddin, head of Gorontalo province's Agriculture and Crops Office, said here.

But the province is unable to meet the order because its normal corn output is insufficient, he said. To solve the problem, his office has forged cooperation with businessmen and farmers from other provinces.

Gorontalo province produces 20 tons of corn per year, so it cannot meet South Korea's order. The province could fulfill the order only within the framework of the Sulawesi Corn Belt Program under which provinces in Sulawesi island cooperate with one another to serve not only South Korea but also other countries.

(Asia Pulse/Antara)

Jan 24, 2004

No material from Asia Times Online may be republished in any form without written permission.

Privacy and Legal Policies