Imported fruit not restricted: Minister
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Agriculture Sjarifudin Baharsjah said yesterday the government would not restrict fruit imports despite its regulation on maximum pesticide residue contents allowed in fruit.
He said the ruling, signed in August by Sjarifudin and Minister of Health Sujudi, aimed to protect the public from pesticide residues in agricultural produce. This complies with World Trade Organization principals.
The rule initially applies to apples, mandarins, oranges, pears and grapes, he said, adding that other agricultural products will covered by the rule in time.
The United States and other countries have expressed concern that the rule might hamper fruit imports. The minister said yesterday the ruling would apply to both imported and domestic produce.
The rule lists 216 pesticides and their allowable maximum levels of toxicity in fruit. Government-appointed laboratories are supposed to regularly analyze fruit samples.
Indonesia imports apples, oranges, mandarins, pears, grapes, dates, longans, lychees and durian. Imported fruit, once only sold in supermarkets, has become available in traditional markets since the government's move to open up the domestic commodities market in the late 1980s.
Some critics say imported fruits contain high pesticide levels. A study by Trubus agriculture magazine and state-owned surveyor PT Sucofindo stated that up to 11 kinds of pesticide residue were found in imported fruit.
Critics also claim that imported fruit is low grade and therefore cheaper.
The Indonesian Fruit Association (HPI) has reported there is not enough imported fruit entering the market to damage domestic fruit production and marketing, despite recent media reports to the contrary.
The association said although fruit imports had increased significantly in the last five years, they are still insignificant compared to domestic production and consumption levels. The volume of fruit imports has increased 1,168 percent in the last five years, and orange and mandarin imports has increased 936 percent.
The association's chairman, Goeswono Soepardi, said recently that although the increase in fruit imports between 1991 and 1995 seemed hefty, only 112,787 tons of fruit were imported last year.
By comparison, 5.8 million tons of fruit is produced domestically each year, while consumption is about 6.3 million tons, Goeswono said.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade said the value of fruit imports has increased sixfold in the last five years, from US$15.7 million in 1991 to $89.8 million last year, with an average growth of 50.8 percent a year. (02)