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Govt to oblige garlic importers to cultivate garlic
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Indonesia imports an average of 450.000 tons of garlic per year, according to Agriculture Ministry data. (Kompas/Defriatno Neke)
T
he government plans to revise Article 11 of Agriculture Ministry regulation No. 78/2013 on the “Import recommendations of horticulture products concerning importer obligations,” to include an additional provision that will require garlic importers to cultivate the vegetable.
In the revised draft, the Agriculture Ministry requires garlic importers to cultivate 5 percent of the granted import quota as part of an effort to decrease garlic imports that reach an average of 450.000 tons per year. With the new measure, the government hopes to build a garlic self-sufficiency program in the future.
Responding to the plan, the Indonesian Garlic Entrepreneurs Association (APBPI) president Piko Nyoto Setiadi called for the Agriculture Ministry to grant them one to two years to find land for garlic farming before the implementation of the new rule.
“We also ask the Agriculture Ministry to assist us in acquiring land that is scientifically proven to be suitable for garlic farming,” Piko said on Thursday in Jakarta.
The association is optimistic that the local garlic price will be competitive and can compete with China’s garlic. “The major factor is increasing demand for local garlic,” he added.
The Agriculture Ministry’s horticulture director general Spudnik Sujono said the Agriculture Ministry is currently collecting and accommodating the opinions of garlic importers so that the regulation will not have adverse effects, especially on the national stock supply of garlic.
“We are still gathering information from the importers so as to prevent adverse effects, after which we will issue the regulation,” he said. (ags)
