Agricom.id, SLEMAN – The thorny palm plantations develop in many regions, such as, District of Sleman, Magelang, Padang Sidempuan, Karangasem, Enrekang, Lombok Barat, and others. It is potential to export to China within the conditions, it should be from the plantations and packing house which have registration numbers.

Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo did hope that the local fruit export could be increasing which means that our local fruits could compete and are in good quality.

District of Sleman is one main region producing salak pondoh in Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta (DIY) Province.  CV. Mitra Turindo is the exporter which has packing house to sell salak pondoh to Canada or other countries. The company is in partnership with the groups, such as, Paguyuban Petani Salak Turindo. It has 150 hectares (ha) of thorny palm planted by salak pondoh super.

“Before the Covid-19 pandemic, we used to export 10 – 15 times in a month for about more than 5 tons. But after the pandemic, the exports decreased about 30 %.  In the early of March to September 2020, we did 7 (seven) exports,” Director of CV Mitra Turindo, Suroto said, as in the official statement to Agricom.id recently.

He continued, though the exports decreased, CV. Mitra Turindo could still export salak pondoh to Canada for about 4600 kg in September 2020. He also mentioned that the company exports it from 13 (thirteen) groups, such as, Kusuma Mulya, Kembang Mulyo, Sicantik,  Sumber Mulyo, Muda Jaya, Sri Manunggal, Sedyo Makmur, Mekar Lestari, /Sido Makmur, Sumber Makmur, Ngudi Makmur, Sari Madu, and Tunas Muda.

“To take salak pondoh from the groups, CV. Mitra Turindo has the conditions, such as, the fruit should be from the registered plantations, should be fresh, perfect, its maturity should be between 60 % to 75% and should be 10 - 17 fruit in one kilogram ,” Suroto said in a discussion. 

Kusuma Mulya is one group producing and marketing the thorny palm through CV. Mitra Turindo.  It is in Cepit, Sukorejo, Girikerto, Sub district of Turi, District of Sleman, DIY Province.

“This group, Tani Kusuma Mulya has about 2.84 ha and its production reaches 8 kg/clump. Besides selling the fresh fruit, its seed is processed to be coffee,” Second Chairman of Kusuma Mulya, Endang said. 

She also mentioned that salak pondoh of the groups got the organic certificate from Control Onion Certification on 21 April 2017. The plantations got the Sertifikat Produk Prima-3 (safe consumption) from Otoritas Kompeten Keamanan Pangan, DIY Province on 18 October 2012 and registered within the number, GAP 01-34.04.1383-T.050 in 2018.

In the other place, Director of Horticulture Result Marketing and Processing, General Directorate of Horticulture, Ministry of Agriculture, Bambang Sugiharto told that it is important to the good handling practices.

“The good handling practices in the groups that supplies salak pondok to CV. Mitra Turindo should increase the quality of thorny palm in District of Sleman to expand the exports,” he said. (A2)