Jakarta aiming to ramp up soybean production

Little incentive: A teller counts rupiah bank notes in Jakarta. The meagre price for soyabeans is driving farmers to other commodities such as rice and corn, says a union chairman. — Reuters

JAKARTA: The government is looking to develop genetically modified organisms (GMO) to boost domestic soybean production and reduce imports in a move experts say is “unnecessary” as it is expected to fail to address key hurdles in national soybean production.

Head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas), Arief Prastyo Adi, said Indonesia must prepare to use genetically modified soybeans to reduce dependence on imports.