Develop Spices, ID FOOD After Exporting First Pala Flower to India

JAKARTA - The government continues to encourage the strengthening of national economic resilience through increased exports of flagship products. One of them is realized through the export of food commodities by the ID FOOD Food BUMN Holding, with the release of the first export of nutmeg (mace) to India as a concrete step to expand the global market.

This was conveyed by SEVP Business and PSO ID FOOD Yosdian Adi Pramono, on Thursday, April 9, in Jakarta. According to him, in the midst of global economic dynamics and challenges, strengthening exports is one of the strategic steps to maintain the stability of the food sector while increasing the added value of local commodities.

"This commitment is realized by ID FOOD through the realization of the first export of nutmeg (mace) commodities to India which was released at Tanjung Perak, Surabaya. The nutmeg product is supplied by a local partner, namely RHA Semesta Berjaya, and sent to the importer NS Impex in India. This commodity will be used in the destination country as a cooking ingredient, herbal medicine, to essential oil," he said.

In this first phase of delivery, Yosdian said ID FOOD exported one container from a contract of 40 containers. This delivery is planned to take place on an ongoing basis with a target of regular shipments of two 20-foot containers each month.

"In addition, ID FOOD is also exploring the potential to export other commodities to the Indian market, such as pineapples, turmeric, and galangal which have a fairly large market opportunity," he said.

Yosdian added that ID FOOD targets to realize the export of similar commodities again this month, in line with efforts to strengthen the sourcing of raw materials, both for nutmeg flowers and other potential commodities such as pinang. This step is expected to further strengthen the supply chain while providing added value for local farmers and business actors.

"These exports are part of ongoing efforts to strengthen Indonesia's role as one of the world's spice producers, while opening up potential new market opportunities," he said.

He explained that this was also a strategic first step in expanding the penetration of the Indonesian export market for spices, especially nutmeg flowers which have high demand in the global market. "We are committed to continue to encourage the increase in the export of food commodities, including spices, as part of our contribution to strengthening the national economy. Collaboration with local partners is key in ensuring the quality and sustainability of the supply," he said.

For information, Indonesia is one of the world's leading producers of nutmeg with a significant contribution to the global market. Based on BRIN data, Indonesia controls around 70-75 percent of the world's nutmeg production with export value reaching 185.32 million US dollars. Demand for nutmeg commodities is also increasing in the global market, especially for the needs of the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industries.

"This is a strategic opportunity that ID FOOD continues to optimize through the strengthening of a business ecosystem based on partnerships," he said.

Yosdian hopes that the inclusion of ID FOOD in the export of spice commodities can be an enabler in encouraging the improvement of farmers' welfare, expanding market access for local products, and strengthening Indonesia's position in the global food market.