JAKARTA (JP): Facing political pressure on the back of skyrocketing soybean price, the government announced Tuesday a target of reaching soybean self-sufficiency by 2011, two years ahead of schedule.

Agriculture Minister Anton Apriantono said soybean production was expected to reach two million tons by 2011, a significant increase from the 608,263 tons last year.

Anton also expects soybean imports to account for only about 10 percent of total domestic soybean consumption by 2011.

Last year, the country imported 983,000 tons of soybeans, or about 62 percent of total domestic consumption.

He said to meet the targets, the ministry had allocated Rp 1.2 trillion (about US$127.6 million) for soybean farm expansion outside of Java, irrigation networks and seed procurement.

"Soybean prices have been high recently, so we hope to encourage farmers to plant more soybeans, although in the past they were very reluctant and shifted to other, more profitable food crops like onion and corn," he said. (ind/**)