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ndonesian bananas will finally be sold in Japan as a result of both countries'€™ economic partnership agreement (IJEPA) that allows for the export of 1,000 tons of bananas per year with zero tariffs.

Indonesian Ambassador to Japan Yusron said that this was an important milestone considering Japan'€™s tight monitoring of the agricultural products market. The country imposes high health standards for imported agricultural products.

'€œThe entrance of Indonesian bananas into the Japanese market for the first time is a recognition of the high quality of our banana products,'€ Yusron said on Monday, as quoted by Kontan.co.id.

Japan'€™s total fruit consumption at present reaches about 5.4 million tons per year, of which 1.8 million tons are imported. Japan'€™s imported fruit market is dominated by bananas, which make up 1 million tons of its yearly imports, followed by pineapples at 200,000 tons. Both bananas and pineapples make up 65 percent of all fruits imported into Japan.

Of all the imported bananas, the most consumed brands are Dole, Sumifru, Delmonte and Chiquita.

The government continues to encourage Indonesian exporters to maintain their product quality in order to boost Indonesia'€™s export market and elevate the welfare of Indonesian fruit farmers.

The value of Indonesian banana and pineapple exports are expected to reach US$15 million this year. The fruit products are sold in big supermarkets such as AEON, department stores such as Takashimaya, Sogo and Seibu, as well as convenience stores that include Seven Eleven, Lawson and Circle K, among others.

'€œWe hope the achievement in the banana and pineapple sectors can be followed by other fruit products,'€ Yusron added.