Agricom.id, MAKASAR – Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo (SYL) released the exports of cashew nut, its derivatives CNSL (cashew nut shell liquid) oil, and other products, such as, wheat bran, pepper, and clove within about 23,7 billion rupiah from Salodong, Makassar, Wednesday (22/04/2020).

"We release the export today – the cashew nut to Europe and America. There are five containers; pellet to China, and they are in big numbers,” he said, as in the official statement to Agricom.id.

He also mentioned that the agriculture commodity to export is the real thing from the agriculture sector to support the economy by noticing the health protocol tightly when the epidemic of corona virus (Covid-19) hits.

“The cashew nut is processed by many men to ensure that the food should be available. Here we are today – for the whole interests. The agriculture should not stop but should pay attention to the health,” he said.

This is the reality that Covid-19 really influences not only the health but also the economy globally.

He also explained that the export is the output to support the economy by prioritizing the health and food security for the people.

“There are many here, about 1.200 men. The economy keeps running. We now see, they follow the health protocol manually, they wash their hand in the sink and should take distance not less than one meter,” he said.

He also supported about the casher nut development that many farmers develop in Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara Barat, and Nusa Tenggara Timur.

"It needs to accelerate the food activity like this. This should not stop, should go on, but should follow the health instruction from the government. We ourselves have the cashew nut only. We need to boost it more. The areas of cashew nut should be more, this is our concentration for 6 million trees in the future and should be in cooperation with us,” he said when giving speech by telling the good news to the integrators of the plantation commodity.

Meanwhile, the Export-Import Manager of PT. Comextra Majora, Agung Wisnu Broto said that his side could send 50 containers of cashew nuts to many countries.

“One container consists of 16 tons in average. We export it to many countries, reaching up to 50 containers per month. The skin process of cashew nuts is the CNSL oil and it is exported to China, America, India, and Korea to fulfill the non-fossil fuel needs there. In average, we could export 21 tons per container in every single day,” he said. (A2)