Indokor's plant helps boost shrimp exports from Yogyakarta

Asip A. Hasani, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta

Yogyakarta governor Sultan Hamengkubuwono X opened here on Tuesday a plant and cold storage unit that is capable of processing 1,200 metric tons of shrimp annually for export to the United States, Hong Kong and several other countries.

On the occasion, the governor also sent off the first export shipment to Los Angeles.

Hamengkubuwono said in his speech that the investment made by Indokor and its success in exporting its products indicated Yogyakarta's favorable conditions for investors.

"PT Indokor Indonesia has proven that its shrimp farming on our Indian Ocean coastline can generate better and bigger shrimps which are also healthier for consumption," Hamengkubuwono said.

The plant, which is part of an integrated shrimp aquaculture project being developed by PT Indokor Indonesia through its subsidiary PT Indokor Dayamina, is equipped with ultra violet sterilization and ozone treatment to process shrimps to meet the stringent quality standards set by the United States Food and Drug Administration.

Indokor's president Tony Agus Ardie said the facilities would help local shrimp farmers and small business to meet the quality standards required by consumers in the developed countries, thereby contributing greatly to boosting shrimp exports from Yogyakarta.

"Shrimp farming is now among the most promising businesses in the country, especially in Yogyakarta, which has 2,000 hectares on its southern coastal line facing the Indian Ocean suitable for brackish water farming," added Tony.

With an annual capacity of 1,200 tons, that is expandable to 2,400 tons, the plant is able to process shrimps from farmers in six districts in Yogyakarta, he added.

Indokor itself has established 15 hectares of intensive shrimp farming on the southern coast in Bantul as a pilot project, which is also being developed as a research and development center for acquaculture in cooperation with Gajah Mada University. The land belongs to the Yogyakarta royal family.

The pilot project will be expanded to 50 hectares so that it will be capable of operating as an agent of development for 600 hectares of ponds that are expected to be developed by local farmers.

"We would never have been able to develop this pilot project without the sultan's goodwill in allowing his land to be used for this project," he said.

Tony said Indokor will help local farmers and cooperatives by providing them with shrimp larvae and technical and marketing services and assisting them to obtain working capital from banks. The company has set up a hatchery capable of producing 50 million shrimp larvae annually.

He said Indokor's integrated shrimp acquaculture project will also have a feed factory, which is slated to come on stream later this year or next year.