Our task in the Trade Ministry is to expand our export products. We saw that lightwood has the potentialYogyakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia has the potential to meet the demand of lightwood for the international market, especially in the European countries, the Director for Export Development Cooperation of the Trade Ministry, Marolop Nainggolan said. "Our task in the Trade Ministry is to expand our export products. We saw that lightwood has the potential," Nainggolan said on the sidelines of the fourth Indonesian Lightwood Cooperation Forum (ILCF) here Monday.
The government has included lightwood as one of its potential products for export as a backbone of the country's economy, he added.
Hence, the ministry is seeking to find the best end-product which is marketable and with the best processing technique.
The forum has involved stakeholders and academicians from various universities.
"I hope that the involvement of academicians in this forum would have a positive impact. However, there will be no improvement without good collaboration between industry and universities. What does the market want? Universities should prepare human resources that fit the market," Nainggolan said.
Indonesia is the world's largest producer and exporter of plywood and blockboard, Rector of Stiper Agriculture Institute (Instiper) Yogyakarta Harsawardana said.
Indonesia has an abundant supply of lightwood such as sengon (Albizia chinensis) and burflower tree (Neolamarckia cadamba).
"With innovation in lightwood derivative products, it will pave the way for new markets and boost the country's economy," Harsawardana said.
Translator: Hery Sidik, Sri Haryati
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
