Indonesia's Banana Exports Enter Japanese Market

Jakarta (Antara Bali) -- Indonesia's local banana produce has penetrated the Japanese market for the first time since the signing of the Indonesia-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement in 2008.

"This year, Indonesia took advantage of the thousand tons per year banana quota at zero percent. This is an important achievement, considering how competitive the Japanese agricultural products market is," Indonesian Ambassador to Japan Yusron Ihza Mahendra said in a press release received by Antara here on Monday.

Yusron added that Japan has very high quality and health import standards for agricultural products.

Indonesia's bananas entering the Japanese market is recognition of the high quality of the country's fruit products, especially banana, he pointed out.

Japan's total fruit consumption is currently some 5.4 million tons per year, of which 1.8 million tons is imported.

Banana dominates Japan's fruit import market with imports of as much as one million tons annually, followed by pineapple at 200 thousand tons per year.

Of Japan's total banana imports, Dole, Sumifru, Delmonte, and Chiquita are the most widely-consumed varieties. The import of two types of banana constitutes 65 percent of Japan's total imports of the fruit.

Furthermore, Yusron encourages Indonesian exporters to continue to maintain the quality of their products to realize the target of increasing Indonesia's share in the export market.

"This success contributes to enhancing the welfare of Indonesian fruit farmers," the ambassador affirmed.

With regard to other fruits such as pineapple, Japan imports nearly 100 percent of it from the Philippines.

At present, Indonesia's market share in export of pineapple to Japan is about 20 percent. The value of the country's exports of banana and pineapple in 2015 is estimated to reach US$15 million.

"We hope the success of the exports of banana and pineapple is followed by that of other fruits," Yusron remarked.

Moreover, Indonesian Trade Attaché in Japan Julia said that the import of the Cavendish variety of banana was very promising in the Japanese market because the supply of bananas from the Philippines had begun to wane. This is because the country was often a victim of hurricanes and floods.

Currently, as much as 96 percent of the banana market in Japan is dominated by the Philippines, and Indonesia aims to claim at least 10 to 15 percent of it.

In addition, the per capita consumption of banana in Japan is an average of 7 to 8 kilograms per year, or 50 pieces a year, with 80 percent of it consumed by households. (WDY)