Indonesia eases food ban through critical port

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Fruit

By Les Watkins

New Zealand is one of only four countries permitted to continue exporting fruit and vegetables into Indonesia through the favoured Tanjung Priok port at Jakarta.

This decision was announced by the Indonesian government only hours before a ban was due to be enforced on June 19. (FOODtechnology March 2012).

It was warmly welcomed as ‘good news’ by Horticulture Export Authority CEO Simon Hegarty, who at time of writing, was still awaiting written confirmation.

Mr Hegarty points out that transport times would be seriously increased – and shelf-life shortened – if our exporters were required to us the alternative port of Tanjung Perak in East Java.

Indonesia and its growing population, which is now nudging 240 million, is set to become one of NZ’s major customers for products such as onions, apples and kiwifruit.

HortNZ CEO Peter Silcock told FOODtechnology: “Indonesia is one of our fastest-growing markets. It has doubled in size over the past two years and has great potential.”

Sending onions there earned this country nearly NZ$9 million in 2010. The figure for apples was NZ$5 million and that for kiwifruit was $4 million.

Jakarta the capital, the biggest city with a population of about 10 million, has long been regarded by exporters as the most suitable entry gate.

A measure of its increasing importance is seen, for instance, in the 60 percent growth in fruit alone arriving there in one season. The period January October saw the value of worldwide fruit imports through Jakarta rise to US$344 million from US$214.7 million in the corresponding period the previous year.

Early this year the government startled exporters by announcing regulations which would ban horticultural goods from arriving through Jakarta.

After a journey of 18 to 20 days from NZ, for instance, they would be at sea another two or three days to reach Tanjun Perak. Further days of delay would follow as they were transported over rough roads to the main population centres.

The regulations were to come into force on March 19 but the date was put back to June after international protests.

The other three countries granted exemption from the Jakarta ban are Australia, Canada and the US.

Among those still pushing for continued access is South Africa.

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