Indonesia to speed up durian exports to China

JAKARTA, July 22 (Xinhua) -- The Indonesian government is set to accelerate the export of durians from Central Sulawesi province to China, as the Southeast Asian country has identified a promising market and high demand for the fruit among Chinese consumers.

"We certainly do not want to waste this opportunity. Central Sulawesi must take part in the durian export market to China," said Central Sulawesi Governor Rusdy Mastura after a meeting with Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan in Jakarta on Monday.

He assured that the province, located on Sulawesi island, could lead the durian export to China, boasting around 30,000 hectares of durian plantations with a total of more than 3 million trees spread across its 12 districts.

According to data from Indonesia's Agricultural Quarantine Agency, durian exports from Central Sulawesi to China were valued at around 600 billion rupiahs (36.9 million U.S. dollars).

The Montong durian variety is the most popular, Mastura said, though other varieties such as Musangking, Super Copper, Matahari, and Raja are also in high demand.

"We hope for the support of the central government so that this export activity can proceed smoothly in the future. Currently, we have 1,634.29 hectares of land registered with Good Agricultural Practices (GAP). We employ 133 registered farmers and manage 10 durian packing houses," he said.

The governor also noted that the province has adequate port facilities and is well-equipped for direct exports to China, with an estimated travel time of seven to nine days.

He anticipated that the durian exports to China would boost the regional economy, improve the welfare of durian farmers, and strengthen Central Sulawesi as a support zone for Indonesia's new capital city in Kalimantan Island.