Local networks hinder exotic fruit exports

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia holds the potential to become a major world exporter of exotic fruit if it can deliver on the need for regular supply, a senior official from the Ministry of Agriculture said on Wednesday.

"Many countries have requested shipments of several exotic fruits, such as mangostene and snake fruit," Director General of Food Crops and Horticulture Production Winarno said after attending a briefing on Indonesia's participation in an upcoming fruit and agribusiness exhibition in Berlin.

The problem is that traders could not guarantee regular supply because they in turn depended on small farmers.

He recommended the establishment of a network of cooperatives to ensure constant supply.

It would also stabilize market prices, he added.

Many types of fruit from Indonesia also fail to meet strict quality standards imposed by importing countries, he said.

Winarno believed farmers would be able to meet the international standards with proper training.

"If other countries can do it, why can't we?" he said, citing Thailand, where agribusiness, including exotic fruits, has become one of the country's major export earners.

Thailand is particularly strong in research, he said, noting its development of a type of durian which was "less smelly".

Indonesia's agriculture research focuses chiefly on rice and corn.

The government has encouraged companies to join international exhibitions, including the Fruit Logistica and International Green Week exhibitions in Berlin, both in January.

Fruit exports are expected to reach US$15.2 million in 1999, down from $16.2 million last year, according to the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

The head of market research and communication of the German- Indonesian Chamber of Industry and Commerce (EKONID), Thomas Brandt, said he hoped Indonesian companies would attend the exhibitions because they would provide them with gateways to international markets.

"I am convinced there will be some companies from Indonesia attending these two exhibitions," Brandt said.

Fruit Logistica is an exhibition for fruit producers, with 413 exhibitors from 27 countries and 6,863 traders registered so far.

The International Green Week Berlin focuses on food, agribusiness and horticultural products, with 1,578 exhibitors and 481,000 visitors registered. (02)