The relationship between companies and plasma farmers in Lampung must be in synergy
Bandarlampung (ANTARA) - Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR) Puan Maharani expected that based on the triad of quality, packaging, and branding, domestically produced fruits should not be inferior to those from overseas, thereby contributing to the national economic growth.

"The local fruit products in Indonesia should not be inferior to products from abroad in all aspects, such as in terms of the quality, packaging, and branding," Maharani noted while reviewing PT Great Giant Pineaple Co. (GGPC) in Central Lampung District on Wednesday.

Maharani stated that with domestic fruits being able to compete in the global market, the stability of Indonesia's domestically produced fruit exports could be maintained in a bid to support the national economy.

"Lampung is the largest pineapple exporter in Indonesia and the world, wherein (the product) comes in the form of canned pineapple packaging, pineapple juice, and pineapple concentrate. Hence, this must be continuously improved," she noted.

She appealed to fruit producers in Lampung to work with plasma farmers as well as maintain production and exports.

"The relationship between companies and plasma farmers in Lampung must be in synergy. Do not limit (the relations) to buying and selling at market prices. As in PT GGPC, it has 10 thousand workers in pineapple, banana, guava plantations, and the coordination must continuously be maintained," she remarked.

With sound relations between the company and plasma farmers, the pineapple processing industry could be developed even better, she remarked.

"The core relationship with plasma (farmers) in Lampung, such as at GGPC, is proof that Indonesia can (have strategic contribution) in global trade, while working together, and today, we will also export fruits from Lampung to Europe and the Middle East," Maharani remarked.

Processed pineapple was a major contributor to exports in Indonesia. One of the tropical fruit exporting areas was Lampung, with the main export destinations to Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, China, Japan, Europe, the Middle East, and Argentina.

Lampung's pineapple exports in 2020 were valued at Rp87 billion, while in 2021, the figure rose to Rp151 billion.

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Translator: Ruth ISK, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Sri Haryati
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