Government sets sights on Japan as the next step in export development
Indonesia has identified Japan as a priority export market as it looks to develop mango exports from East Java.
According to a report from Antara, Indonesia’s minister of transmigration, Muhammad Iftitah Sulaiman Suryanagara, said there is strong demand for premium fruit in Japan and developing commodity-based economic zones would help the industry address technical trade barriers.
The minister said challenges such as fruit fly would provide obstacles to market access, but overcoming these barriers would create more value for growers.
“One of the main challenges is the fruit fly issue. We are working with various stakeholders to address it. It will require investment, but once this issue is resolved, I am confident the Japanese market will open to Indonesian mangoes,” he said.
Avocado mangoes from Pasuruan District and arumanis mangoes from Probolinggo District, East Java had the potential to become flagship horticultural exports, according to the report. The minister said fruit from these regions is regularly presented to ambassadors of the US, China, Australia, reciving a positive response.
To aid this export push, the Ministry of Transmigration, working with other government agencies, is preparing to develop commodity-based regions that strengthen the entire value chain, from cultivation and processing to marketing and exports.
Suryanagara highlighted that each region will be developed based on its comparative advantage, whether mangoes, durians, coconuts, or other agricultural commodities.
