Fruit body formed to boost industry
Fruit body formed to boost industry
GRESIK, East Java (JP): Minister of Agriculture Sjarifuddin
Baharsjah has recognized the newly-founded Indonesian Fruits
Association (Himpunan Perbuahan Indonesia), which is expected to
boost the country's fruit industry.
Established on Saturday by around 40 farmers, business
persons, fruit experts, hobbyists and observers, the association
seeks to preserve, develop and cultivate Indonesia's great
varieties of fruits for economic, social and cultural reasons, a
declaration on the group's establishment said.
"I support the establishment of this association because it is
time to seriously enhance our fruit industry. I hope in this way
we will not hear any more comments that our fruit is inferior to
that of other Southeast Asian countries, particularly Thailand,"
the minister said on Saturday.
"Figures for fruit production and exports have never actually
been very clear because it is difficult to know even the basic
data such as the area planted with fruits," said Sutardi, an
expert of the Getas research center in Salatiga, Central Java.
Indonesia's fruit exports increased almost fivefold from
17,142.3 tons valued at US$12.45 million in 1989 to 97,941.7 tons
worth $62.16 million last year, but its fruit imports surged
almost 15 fold from 4,920.1 tons worth $2.67 million to 74,358.8
tons worth $57.26 million.
Indonesia's share of the international tropical fruit market
is currently a paltry 0.6 percent.
Director for Horticultural Development of the Ministry of
Agriculture M. Winarno said that Indonesian fruits have great
potential to be developed into a big industry, but the current
fruit tree planting which is dominated by smallholders and
farmers in limited areas, such as in the courtyards, should be
first managed on the basis of economic scales.
"The economic scale of the horticultural development will need
at least 500 hectares for each plantation area," he told The
Jakarta Post.
To encourage the development of the fruit industry, more
research centers will be set up at major production areas.(als)