GEN avocados

Indonesia is working on gaining access to Japan for its avocados, with Sri Nuryanti, agriculture attaché of the Indonesian embassy in Tokyo, making the case to the Japanese government.

Nuryanti met with importer Great Giant Foods Japan to discuss opportunities for the Indonesian agriculture industry and was excited about the simplified export licensing process in Japan for avocados.

As Japan in not a major producer of avocados, there is less need for restrictions to protect its domestic growers. This presents Indonesia with a significant opportunity to gain access even though the process is still in its early stages according to Nuryanti.

'Avocado is a new request, and we will convey it to the director general of horticulture to follow up on it,' Nuryanti said in a press release.

'Of course, I am upbeat that this export licensing process does not flare up matters. Meanwhile, the export permit for mangoes is already entering the seventh of the 13 stages.”

“The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) of Japan had recently also sent a letter of confirmation on the result of the Japan International Cooperation Agency's (JICA's) evaluation of the treatment of mangoes using Vapor Heat Treatment (VHT) in Indonesia,'

Akira Kato, senior manager of Japan's Market Development, toldAntaragrowing consumer demand for avocados in Japan is creating a large market with lots of opportunities.

'We have noticed the increasing market opportunity for fresh avocados in Japan. Hence, we are optimistic that the Indonesian government would apply for an export permit for it, so that the quarantine procedure can begin immediately,' Kato said.