Quarantine Assistance Opens the Way for UMKM Bangka Belitung to Export Ketapang Leaves to Various Countries

Illustration (DOK VOI)

PANGKALPINANG - The ketapang leaves that have been found falling on the coastal area have a high economic value in the international market. Thanks to the perseverance of studying the export world and the assistance of the Indonesian Quarantine Agency (Barantin), the Bangka Belitung-based UMKM actor, Lukman Nuhung, managed to bring the commodity to penetrate the markets of the United States, Japan, Germany, England, and Singapore.

The founder of PT Central Charcoal Babelindo narrated the journey of his business which started from the dire straits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Before becoming an exporter, Lukman and his wife ran a street food business and sold drinks on the side of the road. However, the pandemic almost stopped his business so he decided to look for new opportunities by studying the export business independently.

"I learned about exports through an online class for six months. From there, our company, PT Central Charcoal Babelindo, was born," said Lukman in the Web Series Go Ekspor Barantin #1, Kupas Tuntas: Daun Ketapang Babel Terbang ke Mancanegara, Wednesday, July 15.

This webinar was attended by UMKM actors from various regions in Indonesia.

At first, he tried to market charcoal wood produced by MSMEs in Bangka Belitung. However, the product has not managed to find a market abroad. Until one day, Lukman found out that ketapang leaves have a high demand in the international market, especially for the needs of the aquatic industry.

This information prompted him to study the characteristics, processing, and market needs of ketapang leaves. Various rejections were received before he finally obtained the first buyer from the United States in August 2022.

"The first order was 5,000 packs from the United States. After that, buyers from Japan came with 10,000 packs, then Germany reached 30,000 packs. Until now, the cooperation continues," he said.

According to Lukman, ketapang leaves (Terminalia catappa) are widely used in the aquatic industry because they contain tannins that can help lower the pH of the water, create a blackwater effect in aquariums, and are used as natural antibiotics for fish. In addition, ketapang leaves are also used as reptile cages or leaf litter to maintain moisture.

He assessed that Indonesia has great potential to become a supplier of ketapang leaves to the world because the ketapang tree grows almost throughout Indonesia, especially in coastal areas. The tropical climate also allows ketapang leaves to be harvested almost all year round from leaves that fall naturally.

Despite the large market opportunities, Lukman said that every commodity of plants to be exported must meet the requirements of plant health or phytosanitary standards set by the destination country.

The standard aims to ensure that commodities are free from Quarantine Pest Organisms (OPTK), such as insects, fungi, and other organisms that have the potential to be carried along with products and disrupt biological resources in the destination country.

Therefore, every export of ketapang leaves must go through the Indonesian Quarantine Agency for the Certificate of Phytosanitary. The certificate is an official document stating that the commodity has met the plant health requirements according to international standards so that it can be accepted by the importing country.

Lukman admitted that he had been rejected when he first applied for an inspection of his product. At that time, the ketapang leaves he submitted did not meet the phytosanitary standards so that a Phytosanitary Certificate could not be issued.

"I once submitted a sample of ketapang leaves and was rejected. After that, the quarantine officer explained what needed to be improved, from product hygiene, handling processes, to standards that must be met. We reapplied after everything was repaired and finally passed," he said.

This experience was a valuable lesson for Lukman that export success is not only determined by the existence of buyers, but also by the ability of business actors to meet plant health standards required in international trade.

Since starting to export in 2022, all phytosanitary certification processes have always been accompanied by the Indonesian Quarantine Agency UPT in Bangka Belitung. Assistance is carried out from technical consultations, commodity inspections, to the issuance of Phytosanitary Certificates through a digital service system.

According to Lukman, this assistance is very helpful for MSMEs to understand export requirements and ensure that their products meet the requirements of the destination country.

"Until now we have always been accompanied by the Bangka Belitung Quarantine. Now the submission of certificates is done online so that the process is easier. Thanks to the guidance, we can routinely export ketapang leaves to various countries," he said.

He hopes that more MSMEs will take advantage of the Indonesian Quarantine Agency's assistance services before entering the export market. According to him, Quarantine not only conducts inspections, but also trains business actors to be able to meet international standards.

"Don't be afraid to come to Karantina Indonesia. I actually learned a lot from them. Our products can grow because they are guided to meet export standards. This kind of assistance is very helpful for MSMEs to be able to compete in the global market," said Lukman.