Dutch trade mission due here

Dutch trade mission due here

THE HAGUE (Antara): A group of 20 Dutch businesspeople has left here for Indonesia to explore the country's fish production and exporting capabilities.

Evelyne Nusalim, chairwoman of the Association of Indonesian Fish Packers and Exporters in the Netherlands, said most of the delegation members were Dutch importers of fishery products.

They would be looking to import more fish from Indonesia and therefore visiting fish auction centers on Java would be the priority of their visit to Indonesia, she said over the weekend.

Three days ago, 26 Dutch businesspeople flew to Indonesia to visit the five-day Resource Indonesia trade fair in Jakarta which ended on Sunday.

Led by two envoys representing the Indonesian Embassy in The Hague, the Dutch business delegation represented traders of furniture, rubber, automotive and agribusiness products.

Indonesia's fish exports to the Netherlands are expected to rise by more than 15 percent in 1998 over 1997, according to Yeru Salimianto, trade attache at the Indonesian embassy here.

"Up to May this year, Indonesian fish exports to the Netherlands reached a total value of US$7.04 million," he said, adding that "if the 15 percent increase is true, Indonesia's fish exports would exceed $12 million," he said.

Last year, Indonesia's fisheries exports to the Netherlands registered a total value of $10.4 million, Yeru said.