Gorontalo Coconut Paste Breaks into European Market, Indonesian Quarantine Agency Gives 'Red Carpet' for Processing

GORONTALO - Desiccated coconut from Gorontalo Province has successfully penetrated the tight European Union (EU) market. A total of 26 tons of processed coconut worth Rp. 1.2 billion were officially released to Germany through the Djalaluddin Airport Service Unit, Gorontalo Quarantine.

The export release was led directly by the Head of the Indonesian Quarantine Agency (Barantin), Abdul Kadir Karding. This momentum is considered as a tangible proof of the success of regional economic transformation from the delivery of raw materials to high-value-added processed products.

"This activity is not just a ceremonial, but a tangible proof that Gorontalo is ready to penetrate the world market while strengthening the sovereignty of the regional economy," said Abdul Kadir Karding at the Djalaluddin Airport Satpel, Gorontalo Quarantine, Tuesday, June 23.

Karding added that this success is in line with the vision of President Asta Cita to encourage national independence through downstream and industrialization. To support this, Barantin is committed to changing its role. Not only as a traffic supervisor for commodities, but as an economic accelerator.

"We are committed to providing an export red carpet through technical assistance so that Indonesian products can meet international standards, including the strict standards of EU countries," said Karding.

Currently, Barantin's services focus on four main pillars of certification: health, safety, quality fulfillment, and product traceability, supported by science-based inspection and digitization.

​Economic Growth of Gorontalo and Domestic Sector

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In addition to exports to Germany, on the same occasion, Barantin also released Gorontalo's flagship commodities for the domestic market to Jakarta. The commodities include 25 tons of corn worth Rp151 million and 16 tons of bandeng fish worth Rp224 million. In total, the commodities released today reached 67 tons with an economic value of Rp1.575 billion.

The Head of Gorontalo Quarantine, Iswan Hariyanto, stated that the success of coconut shavings penetrating Germany was an indicator that the quality of local products had been recognized by the world.

"Gorontalo quarantine will continue to strengthen supervision and provide assistance to business actors so that export volumes continue to increase," said Iswan.

Based on Barantin data, Gorontalo Province's export performance throughout January-May 2026 indeed showed a positive trend. The value of exports in this area soared to IDR 643.72 billion, or grew 10.76 percent compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, in terms of volume, there was a spike of 21.55 percent to 149.50 million kilograms with a frequency of shipments reaching 477 times.

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To maintain this positive trend, Barantin's working visit to Gorontalo was also filled with interactive discussions with local exporters and business actors to absorb aspirations related to the challenges of global market access and the acceleration of certification services.

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