Agricom.id, JAKARTA - Asosiasi Aren Indonesia (AAI) committed to support the programs in Ministry of Agriculture Indonesian Republic to increase the agricultural exports, such as, encouraging the farmers and businessmen to increase the standards of agricultural products.

“It is important to increase the productivity quality of the farmers so that many countries would import,” Chairman of AAI, Djoko Widardjo said, Saturday (21/11/ 2020), as in the official statement to Agricom.id.

He thought that the agriculture is potential to be the mainstay nationally if the exports positively develop. He continued that Indonesia has the abundant natural resource within the fertile land.

“We need to advantage the nature to fulfill the exports,” he said.

For information, data from Central Bureau of Statistic Indonesian Republic, the agricultural exports in October 2020 increased positively reaching USD 0,42 billion or 1,26 percent compared to the previous month. In year on year, the agricultural exports increased 23,80 percent.

"The increasing exports would be the spirit for use to develop the agriculture,” he said.

Just like Djoko said, Chairman of Economic Department, Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB), Sahara thought that the agricultural exports would keep escalating and could be more too. But he said that every side needs to support it, and there should be enough production.

“Our exports could be more if the product quality is well maintained. If the domestic fulfillment is in the prior scale, the agriculture in Indonesia would go better and more independent,” he said.

For information, the government through Ministry of Agriculture Indonesian Republic initiated Gerakan Tiga Kali Ekspor (Geratieks) program to do more exports and open employment massively. The program proposed by Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo was launched as the united power of the stakeholders to develop the agriculture from the upstream to downstream sectors.

Head of Central Data and Information System of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, Akhmad Musyafak said that the agricultural exports in January - August 2020 increased 8,6 percent.

"In cumulative, the agricultural exports in January –August 2020 reached 2,4 billion dollar America or significantly increased  from the previous period which reached 2,2 billion dollar America," he said.

Besides, he continued that the downstream products of the agriculture reached 15,92 billion dollar America or increased 5,4 percent compared to the previous period in the same period which reached 15,09 billion dollar America.

"This proved that the agriculture is the real solution to improve the economy in the Covid-19 pandemic which still hits many countries,” he said. (A2)