While a modest start, Indonesia’s fresh produce industry is celebrating its first ever sending of fresh fruit to the Australian market with the arrival there of a one tonne consignment of mangosteen.
On Thursday (29/11/2012) the consignment arrived at Sydney airport, in what Indonesia exporters hope is the beginning of a much larger trade. Exporter PT Agung Mustika Selaras sent the consignment.
Growers have not been able to send fresh fruit to Australia until now due to the country’s strict quarantine regulations.
Banun Harpini, the head of the Indonesian Quarantine Agency told Australia’s national broadcaster the ABC thatPT Agung Mustika Selaraswas working with hundreds of small farmers to grow and pick the fruit, and ensure it meets Australia's strict quarantine standards.
“We are very, very proud of that...we are able to enter the market which has the high standards,' she said.
The breakthrough is important for Indonesia, as it is keen to show its produce can meet standardsdeveloped nations, such as Australia, demand.
PT Agung Mustika Selaras manager of international markets Dwi Putra Setiawan told the ABC the acceptance of its produce in Australia gives Indonesia a new benchmark to negotiate access to other foreign markets.
'So whenever we can export to Australia, we can meet the requirements, it will be a good reference for us to export to the other countries,” he said.
Joseph Joemono who is the president and director of PT Agung Mustika Selaras pioneered the export of Indonesia’s mangosteens more than 25 years ago with his first shipment of mangosteens by airfreight to Taiwan. Joemono is now the major exporter of Indonesian mangosteens mostly into China.
Indonesia’s mangosteen exports have increased marginally over the last eight years from about 9,300 tonnes in 2003 to 12,600 tonnes in 2011.
Mangosteen is the main fruit exported from Indonesia and represented about 65 per cent of Indonesia’s total fresh fruits exports in 2011.
