Ministry of Transmigration states Indonesia has potential to supply 3 billion coconuts to China

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Transmigration Minister M Iftitah Sulaiman Suryanagara stated that coconut farmers in Indonesia have the opportunity to export three billion coconuts per year to China. “Coconuts are needed at four billion units (per year) in China, but they can only produce one billion from what they have in Hainan province, so there is still a gap of three billion units,” he said in Jakarta on Tuesday. “This is an extraordinary potential that we can develop,” Iftitah continued. In addition to coconuts, he mentioned that durian, coffee, and chocolate are other agricultural products with potential to be developed as Indonesia’s flagship export commodities. He gave the example that durian has high demand in China, but the value of local durian exports to the Bamboo Curtain country has not yet reached Rp1 trillion per year. However, according to him, the durian market in China could reach Rp120 trillion to Rp137 trillion every year. “Meanwhile, in Central Sulawesi, according to the local head and governor, durian production was previously abundant, but they didn’t know where to sell it,” said Iftitah. He stated that this presents an opportunity for communities in transmigration areas in Central Sulawesi to increase their income. He said that such commodities are only priced at Rp4-5 thousand in their origin areas, whereas the export price can reach Rp25 thousand. “Automatically, the increase in income (for the community) will be significant (impacting) the reduction in poverty rates,” said Iftitah. To optimise the development of these various agricultural commodities, the Ministry of Transmigration is also working to build an economic corridor connecting the Poso, Sigi, and Parigi Moutong regions in Central Sulawesi province. Through this economic corridor, they will also encourage the industrialisation and downstream processing of various plantation products, while creating more job opportunities for the community. He also assured that the development of this economic zone would be carried out in accordance with applicable rules and procedures with clear (clear and clean) land status. “Of course, land opening (for the development of this economic corridor) will always be within the HPL (transmigration land management rights) and will not damage the environment,” Iftitah added.