Tangerang – Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo (SYL) has encouraged business players to strengthen the downstream industries in the economic sector of plantations as a national economic power in the future.
Minister SYL stated that the downstreaming endeavor is a new icon in raising the public income of Indonesia.
“The downstreaming is now a new icon that we should jointly implement to strengthen our national economy. At least, the biodiesel from our plantations can outcompete the imported biodiesel,” SYL said when formally opening the plantation expo (Perkebunan Expo 2023 — Bunex 2023) held in the Indonesia Convention Exhibition (ICE BSD), Tangerang, Banten, on Thursday, 7 September 2023.
SYL said that to support the downstreaming program, all stakeholders should consolidate themselves in improving the plantation areas across regions of Indonesia.
“Our future programs should focus on improving the existing plantation areas, including the oil palm plantations. In my view, the palm oil is not just pure gold of 24 carat, but pure gold of 100 carat. Why? It’s because the palm oil can support the 280 million of Indonesian people,” he said.
According to SYL, the agricultural sector has become the most strategic sector for Indonesia, especially during the last four years when it can grow positively while the other sectors were contracting due to Covid-19 pandemic and other global crisis.
“I do hope that through this Bunex there will be mutual understanding among business players in accelerating the development of downstream industries. During the last three days I’ve accompanied President in meetings with other leaders. All of them were talking about foods. We, therefore, should be more accelerated in downstreaming,” he said.
The agriculture ministry’s Plantation Director General Andi Nur Alamsyah said during the expo that the plantation sector has managed to become the largest contributor of agricultural exports, which account for 93.20 percent and at total transaction value of Rp209.4 trillion.
“The plantation alone has contributed 12.91 percent of the total national exports. The export commodities that saw biggest increase this year are palm oil, rubber, cocoa, coconut and coffee. All can be further increased,” he said.
The Bunex this year was participated by 123 participants, consisting of 67 micro, small, and medium enterprises (UMKM) and 56 companies—state-owned and private ones and a number of associations. (*)
Source: WartaTani.co
