RI Targets Export of Cultured Fish to Saudi Arabia for the Consumption of Hajj Pilgrims

JAKARTA - The Indonesian government is preparing strategic steps to open access to export cultured fishery products to Saudi Arabia, especially to meet the consumption needs of Indonesian Hajj pilgrims.

Head of the Marine and Fisheries Product Quality Control and Supervision Agency (Badan Mutu KKP) Ishartini revealed that this effort was carried out through a unified team formed by the Coordinating Minister for Food in the framework of the Hajj and Umrah food ecosystem, and KKP became one of the team members.

Ishartini said Indonesia is currently negotiating with the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) to obtain approval for the entry of cultured fish products into the Saudi market.

"We haven't received approval yet, but this is in the process. We have fulfilled all the requirements requested by the SFDA," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, February 19.

According to him, the KKP Quality Agency as a competent authority in the supervision of the quality of fishery products has actively communicated with the Saudi authorities.

With the integrated team of the Hajj and Umrah food ecosystem, he is optimistic that Indonesian agricultural products can soon enter the Saudi Arabian market.

"So we just have to wait, hopefully with the existence of a unified team for the Hajj and Umrah ecosystem, the cultivation product can immediately enter the Saudi market," said Ishartini.

KKP data shows that national aquaculture fish production in 2024 reached 15.75 million tons. The largest commodity is seaweed with 9.85 million tons, followed by tilapia 1.56 million tons, catfish 1.15 million tons, bandeng 792,864 tons, carp 523,796 tons, and patin 381,969 tons.

Minister of Hajj and Umrah Mochamad Irfan Yusuf previously stated that his party was trying to export fish commodities from Indonesia to meet the needs of hajj pilgrims.

In a working meeting with Commission VIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives in Jakarta, Tuesday (10/2), he encouraged Indonesian fish such as patin fish to enter the Saudi market as part of providing food for pilgrims and umrah.

This step follows the government's approval to export rice to Saudi Arabia this year.