Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia has invited Mexico to conduct research together to develop palm oil-based biofuel as renewable energy during the third meeting of the Indonesia-Mexico Consultative Committee on Agriculture (CCA) held in Mexico City. At the meeting, held on November 21 and 22, 2019, the Indonesian delegation led by the chief of the Foreign Cooperation Bureau at the Agriculture Ministry also offered Mexico cooperation in controlling oil palm diseases, the Indonesian Embassy in Mexico City said in a press statement released Tuesday.

The initiative received a warm response from Mexico that plans to learn from Indonesia about the development of palm oil including the development of biofuel since Indonesia has successfully applied a 20 percent blended biodiesel (B-20) program and is gearing up for the production of 30 percent blended biodiesel (B-30).

Mexico is also eager to explore cooperation in developing biodiesel-based products such as castor oil and jatropha that can be grown on marginal land.

At the meeting, the two countries also discussed ways to strengthen the cow fat industry in Indonesia and cooperation in genetic improvement of several farm commodities such as coconut, oil palm, cacao and coffee.

Indonesia currently needs some 500 thousand cows to meet its beef consumption and some of the cows are imported.

The meeting also highlighted the ban on the export of Indonesian shrimp to Mexico since 2015.

Indonesia has invited Mexico to re-evaluate the condition of the shrimp industry in Indonesia. However, Mexico has yet to fulfill the invitation although it is committed to revoking the ban.

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Translator: Yashinta Difa Pramudyani/Suhar
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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