Barantin ready to help find export markets for Palu fried shallots
Head of the Indonesian Quarantine Agency (Barantin) Abdul Kadir Karding stated that his agency is ready to help find overseas buyers for fried shallot exports from Palu, Central Sulawesi, to several Southeast Asian countries as well as explore market opportunities in China.
He said fried shallots are one of Palu’s flagship products with good quality and strong demand in the domestic market, but have not yet been exported.
“There is a product from Palu that is quite good, for example fried shallots. The quality is good, demand is strong domestically, but it has not been exported yet,” Karding said in Jakarta on Wednesday.
According to him, Barantin can help open market access by finding potential buyers in a number of countries deemed promising.
Karding named Malaysia, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand as markets that could be explored. As for China, he said market opportunities could still be investigated further.
“We can find buyers especially in Malaysia, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. Perhaps even China, we will help find the market later,” he said.
The market-opening effort is part of cooperation between Barantin and the Palu city government to increase regional economic growth through the development of flagship commodities.
Besides fried shallots, Karding said Central Sulawesi has a number of commodities with potential for development for trade and export, including durian, coconut, cocoa, fish, meat, and plants such as orchids from Poso.
He also mentioned seaweed, tuna and fishery products, cocoa, coconut and derivative products, edible bird’s nests, and horticultural commodities as products whose export access could potentially be accelerated.
The potential market opening comes amid significant foreign trade activity in Central Sulawesi.
Statistics Indonesia (BPS) recorded the province’s export value throughout 2025 at USD 22.32 billion, or approximately IDR 395.27 trillion.
China was the largest export destination for Central Sulawesi in 2025 with a value of USD 10.21 billion, or approximately IDR 180.81 trillion, equivalent to 45.75 percent of total exports.
Vietnam was also among the main destinations with an export value of USD 1.92 billion, or approximately IDR 34 trillion, equivalent to 8.62 percent of total exports.
Palu fried shallots have themselves obtained geographical indication protection from the Ministry of Law.
The Directorate General of Intellectual Property of the Ministry of Law noted that the product uses local shallots of the Lembah Palu variety grown in the Palu, Donggala and Sigi areas as its raw material.
Meanwhile, the Palu city government stated in August 2025 that a farmer in Petobo sub-district, South Palu district, was able to produce up to two tonnes of fried shallots per month if supported by expanded marketing.
Palu Mayor Hadianto Rasyid said collaboration with Barantin is expected to help the regional government identify and manage various economic potentials so as to provide benefits for regional development.
“We hope this MoU does not stop as a cooperation document, but truly enters the implementation stage that provides real benefits for the region and the community,” Hadianto said.
He said the memorandum of understanding with Barantin would be followed up through more concrete cooperation planned to be carried out in Palu the following month.