Reduction of Fruit, Vegetable Imports Saves Rp 52 Trillion

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman claimed on Sunday the reduction of fruit and vegetable imports has saved Rp52 trillion in foreign exchange so far this year.

"Fruit and vegetable imports have declined although they still continue. But the most important thing is that our fruit and vegetable exports have increased," he said after opening National Flower and Fruit Carnival Festival in Bogor, West Java.

He said fruit imports dropped 16 percent and fruit exports rose 30 percent. Vegetable imports fell 9.6 percent and vegetable exports increased 32 percent.

Indonesia currently supplies 6 million tons of the global horticultural commodity needs which reach 200 million tons.

"We still have a great opportunity to increase horticultural exports. We must abandon sectoral ego and cooperate in realizing the opportunity," he said.

Therefore, he said he will ask President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) to focus on developing food crops including vegetables and fruits.

"Next Wednesday I will hold a limited meeting with the president to discuss this opportunity. We can develop it into an international event to spur fruit production," he said.

He further said budget allocations to the Agriculture Ministry has increased 100 percent. The fund will be distributed among various programs to increase agricultural productivity.

The minister was also proud of Indonesia being able to see a rice surplus and that it did not import the staple food.

The country did not import rice from October 2014 to October 2015, he said. (WDY)