The recent success of two exported mango varieties from Cirebon in West Java, Indonesia, has seen plans drawn up by local officials to increase the region's production area.
Gedong Gincu and Harum Manis varieties were recently shipped to Singapore, Hong Kong and several Middle Eastern countries including Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, while demand also came from elsewhere.
'Both varieties were sought after by the overseas market,' Ali Effendi, head of Cirebon's Regional Agriculture, Plantation, Forestry and Livestock office, told The Jakarta Post. 'Demand also came from Japan, the US and various European countries, but due to limited production we were unable to meet demand.'
Indeed, the annual production of Gedong Gincu and Harum Manis mangoes in the region amount to just 40,000 tonnes and 20,000 tonnes respectively, Mr Effendi said, with export demand potentially reaching 200,000 tonnes.
To counter this, Cirebon authorities are planning to boost the region's production area from 2,300ha to 10,000ha over the next five years.
Pest attacks in Cirebon remain the main barrier to the production of high-quality fruit, but overcoming that obstacle could lead to wider export options, Mr Effendi noted.
