Mayasari Effendi, an Indonesian living in Greensburg, Indiana, will build the factory in Midwest, Meri Binsar Simorangkir, Indonesia's Consul General in Chicago, noted in a statement on Thursday.
Simorangkir has prepared the land and equipment for the factory expected to become fully operational by early 2021.
The state of Indiana was selected as the site, as it is one of the main US agricultural production centers.
One of the key products from Indiana is premium-quality soybean, with the state having seeds and mastery of advanced agricultural technology.
Hence, Indiana is also viewed as a potential partner of Indonesia in transferring soybean production technology.
"The cooperation includes breeding superior soybean seeds, increasing soybean export cooperation and technical cooperation in the form of apprenticeship programs for Indonesian youth to learn planting patterns, harvest management, and ways to produce quality soy-based products," she stated.
Simorangkir made the statement during a business meeting held in Greensburg to promote the potential for cooperation in the fields of trade and investment and tourism (TTI) that is the focus of Indonesia's economic diplomacy.
The business meeting, held at the Mayasari Indonesian Grill restaurant owned by the Indonesian diaspora, was attended by Mayor of Greensburg Joshua Marsh and businesspersons from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry as well as the association of soybean entrepreneurs and exporters association based in Midwest.
"The Indonesian government is committed to further enhancing Indonesia's cooperation with Indiana," she noted.
The Indonesian Consulate General in Chicago also supported Mayasari Effendi, who is actively promoting Indonesian culture and culinary arts in Indiana through her Mayasari Indonesian Grill restaurant, specifically with a menu of tempe served in a plethora of dishes.
So far, Mayasari and his family, who have a home industry for tempe production, can only produce hundreds of packs of tempe. However, once the factory is established, tempe production is expected to reach 1.6 million packs per week.
Mayasari explained that the aspiration to establish a tempe factory in Greensburg aims to cater to the increase in the number of US tempe consumers. Orders for tempe not only come from residents of Greensburg but also from other states in the US.
So far, tempeh is more commonly consumed on a large scale on the East and West coasts of the US, so the plan to establish a tempe factory in the Midwest is something new.
Indonesia currently imports soybeans from abroad to meet domestic consumption requirements.
Over the past five years, Indonesian soybean imports from the US have generally been from the states of Illinois and Ohio, according to the Indonesian Consulate General in Chicago.
During the series of business meetings, the Indonesian Consul General in Chicago also visited soybean farms belonging to the Indonesian diaspora, the location of the prospective first tempe factory in the Midwest, and the largest supplier of plant seeds and soybeans in the Midwest called Steward Seed.
In accordance with the topic of discussion on soybeans, at this business meeting, the attendees also enjoyed soybean-based Indonesian specialties, specifically tempe, processed into tempe salad and tempe rendang. Related news: Indonesia ready to export tempe
Related news: Indonesia`s tempe promoted at Oxford University
EDITED BY INE
Translator: Yuni A Sinaga, Fardah
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
