In the commemoration of the 79th Anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Indonesia, the Indonesian Quarantine Agency (Barantin) through the Animal, Fish, and Plant Quarantine Center (Karantina) of Southeast Sulawesi (Sultra) facilitated the first export of whole coconuts to China with a volume of 646 tons.
“The first export of whole coconuts directly from Kendari to China of 646 tons, worth 2.52 billion rupiah, is one form of implementation of Barantin’s duties, as an ‘economic tool’ that facilitates market access for Indonesia’s leading commodities in international trade. It has a positive impact on improving the people’s economy and the country’s foreign exchange,” said Head of Barantin Sahat M. Panggabean to reporters at Kendari New Port, Monday (19/8/2024).
Sahat also conveyed one of Barantin’s main focuses, namely implementing a traceability system for export products. Through this, commodity production can be recorded from upstream to downstream, so that the implementation of a traceability system in export documents can help farmers in the region enter the international market.
“Traceability of exported agricultural commodities must be ensured in order to guarantee the health of animals, fish and plants as well as the safety and quality of food and feed in the destination country,” explained Kabarantin.
“This initial export is expected to continue to develop all export potentials, thereby improving the welfare of farmers, business actors, and the community, especially in Southeast Sulawesi. We (Barantin) oversee upstream, ensuring that the health of commodities meets the requirements of the destination country,” added Sahat.
On that occasion, the Acting Governor of Southeast Sulawesi, represented by the Regional Secretary of Southeast Sulawesi, Asrun Lio, said that his party was fully committed to supporting and facilitating the development of superior regional commodities.
“We will continue to strive to create a conducive business climate and increase the production capacity of farmers and business actors in Southeast Sulawesi,” explained Asrun
Asrun also invited all stakeholders ranging from farmers, business actors, and related agencies in developing agricultural production and its sub-products in order to further expand the export potential of original products from Southeast Sulawesi.
Plantation commodities in the form of round coconuts in the Southeast Sulawesi region are one of the superior agricultural commodities. According to IQFast data (‘Indonesian Quarantine Full Automatic System’), the frequency of sending whole coconuts throughout 2024 has been transported as much as 1.66 thousand tons. However, it is only transported domestically or between areas to Surabaya and Makassar.
In addition to whole coconuts, there are other commodities from Southeast Sulawesi that have export potential, including copra, corn kernels, cocoa kernels, cashew nuts, cloves, coconut flour, areca nuts, and nutmeg. This can be seen from the number of commodities transported.
Traffic volume data for copra is 28.46 thousand tons, corn kernels 39.99 thousand tons, cocoa kernels 5.83 thousand tons, cashew nuts 4.91 thousand tons, cloves 2.52 thousand tons. Then for round coconuts 1.66 thousand tons, coconut flour 1.24 thousand tons, areca nuts 458 tons, and nutmeg 297 tons.
Meanwhile, Head of Quarantine of Southeast Sulawesi Azhar stated that he continues to coordinate with stakeholders in encouraging exports in this province.
“The hope is that in the future, agricultural commodity exports can increase, so that they can be a great added value for the Southeast Sulawesi region and farmers,” said Azhar.
Also present at the inaugural export activity were the Head of the Harbor Master and Port Authority (KSOP), Commander of Lanal, Kajati Sultra, G.M. Pelindo, Head of the Plantation Service, Head of the Food Security Service, Head of the Food Crops and Animal Husbandry Service, and Head of Kendari Customs and Excise.
source: https://www.rri.co.id/daerah/913325/barantin-konstruksi-perdana-kelapa-bulat-dari-kendari-ke-tiongkok