Indonesia Pursuing China Market Access for Fresh Durians

Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan recently stated that the country’s government is striving to secure China market access for fresh durians, with Chinese demand for the fruit estimated to reach $8 billion.

According to Zulkifli, Indonesia is currently only permitted to export durian paste to China, a product that is typically used in ice cream production. This processing is not only time-consuming but also leads to lower prices. In the past, large quantities of durians from Central Sulawesi were re-exported to China via Thailand, significantly reducing potential profits for Indonesian growers. As a result, the Indonesian government hopes to negotiate the necessary procedures to allow growers to directly export fresh whole durians to China in the near future.

According to the Indonesian Quarantine Agency, China is scheduled to inspect Indonesia’s durian sector next year. Zulkifli further noted that following these inspections, the two countries could sign a memorandum of understanding to facilitate the direct export of fresh Indonesian durians to China.

Indonesia initiated its application to export fresh durians to China in 2020, but protocol negotiations have not yet been completed. In the meantime, Indonesia is actively seeking Chinese investment in its durian sector. The Indonesian government has offered 5,000 hectares of land for durian plantations and identified several potential sites for Chinese investors to consider, including parts of Sumatra and Sulawesi islands.

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This article was translated from Chinese. Read the original article.