Ministry of Trade Facilitates Rendang Exports to Opor for Hajj Pilgrims

Illustration. (Photo: Dok. Antara)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Trade (Kemendag) has facilitated the export of various Indonesian ready-to-eat foods such as rendang to chicken opor to meet the needs of Indonesian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia during the 1447 Hijriah Hajj season.

This effort is carried out as part of the government's commitment to maintaining the smooth supply of food for pilgrims, as well as strengthening the penetration of halal products and processed Indonesian food in the Saudi market.

The Indonesian Trade Attaché in Riyadh, Zulvri Yenni, said the Ministry of Trade continued to monitor various technical obstacles faced by exporters of PT Halalan Thayyiban Indonesia (PT HATI) in entering nearly 360,000 servings of ready-to-eat food into Saudi Arabia.

"We continue to monitor and facilitate various technical obstacles so that the export of Indonesian ready-to-eat products can run smoothly. This step is important to ensure the supply of food for Indonesian pilgrims during the implementation of the hajj," Zulvri said in an official statement, Friday, May 22.

Zulvri explained that the strategies carried out include accelerating the issuance of Form B Origin Certificate (SKA) in Indonesia, encouraging the acceleration of sample testing by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), to accelerate the customs process in Saudi Arabia.

The exported products consist of various typical Indonesian menus such as black pepper beef rice, balado meat rice, chicken curry rice, chicken opor rice, chicken semur rice, meat stew, beef rendang, and balado meat.

All of these products have halal certification from the Halal Product Assurance Organization (BPJPH) and health certificates from the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM).

According to Zulvri, all products have now entered the stage of inspection and inspection of goods at the King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

He assessed that the need for ready-to-eat food for Indonesian pilgrims continued to increase to at least 1 million servings each year as the number of pilgrims departing for the Holy Land increased.

Furthermore, Zulvri added, the export facilitation is also part of the strategy to expand the market for Indonesian halal products in the Middle East.

"The Ministry of Trade's facilitation in overseeing the smooth export of ready-to-eat food is also an effort to strengthen the penetration of halal products and processed Indonesian food into the Saudi Arabian market. This commitment will continue to be continued for next year's Hajj," he added.

Meanwhile, the representative of PT HATI in Saudi Arabia, Arif Billal, appreciated the support of the Indonesian Embassy in Riyadh through the Indonesian Trade Attaché in Riyadh in accelerating the export process of Indonesian ready-to-eat food.

According to Arif, this support helps business actors face various administrative and regulatory processes in Saudi Arabia, including accelerating the approval of food test results from the SFDA and the process of issuing goods by the Saudi Customs.

"We feel the great role of the Indonesian Embassy in Riyadh through the Indonesian Trade Attaché in Riyadh to accelerate the approval of the results of the test of ready-to-eat food from the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) as well as the approval of the issuance of goods from the customs area by the Saudi Customs," said Arif.

Arif said the presence of Indonesian specialties in the Holy Land was important to maintain the comfort and health of pilgrims during the haj pilgrimage.

"This is important so that Indonesian pilgrims can continue to enjoy authentic Indonesian food so that their health is maintained during the haj pilgrimage," he concluded.