In a statement posted on BRIN's website on Friday, Head of the agency's Agriculture and Food Research Organization Puji Lestari noted that Indonesia has fertile land with abundant natural richness, which is ideal for crop plants.
However, many horticultural products end up as waste due to poor post-harvest product management, she said.
Given the availability of abundant natural resources and the increasing demand for food, Indonesia has a great opportunity to conquer the international horticultural market.
To realize this, there are challenges that need to be handled such as the need for bolstering post-harvest technological capability, advance transportation technology acceleration, as well as information technology development.
There are also many problems that must be resolved to maintain the quality and quantity of products.
The main problem with horticultural products is their short shelf life.
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"Because horticultural products expire quickly, exporters choose air transport to deliver them. This is what makes the export commodity price expensive, which makes it not very competitive," Lestari informed.
To address this issue, BRIN is conducting research related to food handling and fresh agriculture products.
The research aims to improve the quality and added value of horticultural products, extend their shelf life, and reduce the loss of such products.
To handle the post-harvest issues of horticultural products, a good agro industry system and management should also be implemented to boost the efficiency of the agro industry production system.
In addition, collaboration between parties, including BRIN, the central government, and regional governments, is also important to strengthen the horticultural ecosystem.
This collaboration is especially important to develop and promote the application of post-harvest processing technology among people.
Related news: BRIN conducts research to strengthen food security in IKN Nusantara
Translator: Martha H S, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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