Minister eyes Japan as new market for East Java mango exports

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's Minister of Transmigration, Muhammad Iftitah Sulaiman Suryanagara, is seeking to expand mango exports from East Java to Japan by developing commodity-based economic zones and addressing technical trade barriers.

Japan has been identified as a priority export destination due to its strong demand for premium-quality fruit.

However, Indonesian mango exports to Japan continue to face technical obstacles, particularly those related to fruit fly control.

"One of the main challenges is the fruit fly issue. We are working with various stakeholders to address it. It will require investment, but once this issue is resolved, I am confident the Japanese market will open to Indonesian mangoes," the minister said in a statement on Monday.

Suryanagara said removing these barriers would expand market access for Indonesian mangoes while creating greater added value for farmers and local businesses.

According to the minister, avocado mangoes from Pasuruan District and arumanis mangoes from Probolinggo District, East Java, are highly competitive and have the potential to become flagship Indonesian horticultural exports.

He added that he has frequently presented East Java mangoes to the ambassadors of the United States, China, Australia, and several other partner countries to showcase their quality, receiving highly positive responses.

To support the export drive, the Ministry of Transmigration, together with relevant government agencies, is preparing to develop commodity-based regions that strengthen the entire value chain, from cultivation and processing to marketing and exports.

Suryanagara emphasized that each region will be developed based on its comparative advantage, whether mangoes, durians, coconuts, or other agricultural commodities.

He said the initiative forms part of the government's broader transmigration transformation, which is no longer focused solely on population relocation but also on developing new centers of economic growth.

East Java Deputy Governor Emil Elestianto Dardak welcomed the initiative, saying that improving the competitiveness of the province's flagship products requires collaboration among the government, businesses, the media, and digital content creators.

"We need collaboration. The government, businesses, the media, and digital creators must work together to promote the region's potential more widely," he said.

In April 2024, Indonesia's Quarantine Agency (Barantin) estimated that Japan's annual demand for imported mangoes could reach around 7,000 tons, with a potential market value of approximately Rp140 billion (US$7.5 million).

At that time, Indonesia was projected to have an initial export capacity of around 600 tons of mangoes, provided all technical export requirements could be met.

Barantin noted that access to the Japanese market requires compliance with several technical requirements, including the registration of orchards, packing houses, and quarantine treatment facilities to ensure the fruit is free from fruit flies.

These requirements are consistent with the efforts currently being pursued by the Ministry of Transmigration to expand market access for East Java's mangoes in Japan.

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Translator: Aria Ananda, Resinta Sulistiyandari

Editor: Primayanti

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