Jakarta (VNA) – As durian demand in China could reach 8 billion USD, Indonesia is undertaking durian export to China, a process that the government started a while ago, said Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan.
He highlighted the booming demand in China, a good opportunity for durian farming countries like Indonesia to boost exporting this fruit and also good news for durian farmers.
Zulkifli said Indonesia is currently only able to produce durian paste for export. The products, commonly used for ice cream, have a complicated and lengthy manufacturing process and a lower selling price.
The government seeks to export the whole durian fruit in the near future, and ship them directly to China without transit, he continued.
He pointed out that Indonesia has a lot of durians from Central Sulawesi, but to reach China, they must first be transported to Thailand, which has decreased profit.
Based on results of the Indonesian Quarantine Agency meeting, China will run a direct inspection of Indonesia’s durian early next year. After the process is completed, the two countries can sign an MoU so that Indonesian durian can directly access the Chinese market, Zulkifli added./.
