China Is Attracted To Organic Salak Nglumut On The Slopes Of Mount Merapi

Salak illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - China is looking at organic salak nglumut fruit commodities on the slopes of Mount Merapi to be introduced to its citizens, said the Head of Food Crops and Horticulture, Agriculture and Food Office of Magelang Regency, Ade Srikuncoro Kusumaningtyas.

Ade in Magelang, as reported by Antara on Friday, August 27, said that in order to follow up on the plan, the China's General Administration of Customs (GACC) has conducted a virtual audit of the packaging process for salak nglumut fruit.

He conveyed that the audit process was held openly at the Packing House belonging to the Ngudi Luhur Farmers Group Association (Gapoktan) in Kaliurang Village, Srumbung Spectacle, Magelang Regency.

The virtual audit process is related to the management of fruit to be exported, standard operating procedures for quarantine and most importantly the implementation of health protocols (prokes) for workers in packaging.

According to him, this virtual audit process is to ensure the quality and safety of food, especially the salak nglumut commodity which will be introduced to the Chinese community.

If the results of the GACC audit later state that the process is feasible, he said, then the Ngudi Luhur Gapoktan can start exporting salak nglumut fruit to China.

The salak nglumut agricultural land managed by the Ngudi Luhur Gapoktan covers an area of almost 200 hectares. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ngudi Luhur Farmer Group still continued to export organic salak fruit to Thailand and Cambodia.

"There is great hope to be able to export to China so that the opportunity for the salak market will be greater so that the welfare of farmers will increase," he said.

According to him, the salak nglumut developed by the farmers comes from organic farming land so that it has a sweeter and fresher taste than other salak.