Minister Iftitah Launches Export of 459 Tonnes of Frozen Durian from Parigi Moutong to China Worth Rp 42.5 Billion

Minister of Transmigration (Mentrans) M Iftitah Sulaiman Suryanagara launched the export of 459 tonnes of frozen durian from Parigi Moutong to China, valued at Rp 42.5 billion, in Palu, Central Sulawesi, on Thursday (16/4/2026). The launch was marked by pressing a siren button and the scattering of yellow rice, believed to symbolise blessings and as part of efforts to promote regional flagship commodities into international markets. Iftitah stated that downstream processing of durian commodities is crucial for increasing added value, but it should be combined with exports of fresh durian, which fetches nearly twice the price in the Chinese market. “I just saw the packaging of durian directly; this downstream processing is indeed very important, but it could perhaps be mixed with fresh durian. Because fresh durian itself, in China, its value is almost twice as much,” he said during the export launch speech. Based on his meeting with the Chinese Ambassador a few days prior, the potential durian market in that country reaches around Rp 137 trillion. In addition to durian, Iftitah mentioned that coconut commodities also have great opportunities with a market value of around Rp 110 trillion. However, China currently only meets a small portion of those needs, thus opening opportunities for Indonesia to increase exports. He continued that Parigi Moutong, dominated by transmigration areas, has great potential to be developed as a horticulture-based economic corridor, along with other regions such as Poso and Sigi. “In the future, we want to make it an economic corridor, especially for horticulture, starting from Poso, then Sigi, Parigi Moutong,” he said. According to him, the development of those areas does not only rely on government budgets but also opens investment opportunities from the private sector and international partners. Iftitah emphasised that the current direction of transmigration policy is no longer just about relocating populations but focuses on developing regional economic potential. He also mentioned the patriotic transmigration programme involving superior human resources from various universities to support regional development.