"We are very optimistic. We are trying to facilitate this goal," Ardika stated in Jakarta on Wednesday.
This optimism was triggered by a rebound in tourism activities and the movement of the community, he added.
"For instance, tourism in Bali showed good progress, with high hotel occupancy, and moreover with the G20 event (being held). Hence, the food and beverage industry was deemed to be crucial. We have started to recover from the pandemic to become endemic. Hence, economic activities had started to move again," he conveyed.
Ardika remarked that despite being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the F&B industry still showed resilience by growing 3.68 percent in the second quarter of 2022, a significant increase as compared to 2.95 percent during the same period in 2021.
During the same period, the F&B industry contributed 38.38 percent to the GDP of the non-oil and gas industry, thereby making it the sub-sector with the largest GDP contribution in Indonesia.
During the January-June 2022 period, exports of the F&B industry reached US$21.3 billion, an increase of nine percent as compared to US$19.5 billion during the same period in 2021, he explained.
On the other hand, the F&B industry was able to attract an investment worth Rp21.9 trillion until the second quarter of 2022 and absorb up to 1.1 million workers.
Meanwhile, General Chairperson of the Indonesian Food and Beverage Entrepreneurs Association (Gapmmi) Adhi S. Lukman stated that although the F&B industry continued to grow during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, the figures had not returned to normal.
"Usually the food and beverage industry grows seven to 10 percent. However, we are still happy that investment in this sector continues to grow," Lukman stated.
In fact, the investment value entering the F&B sector can exceed the target set, he added.
Usually, the investment value in the F&B sector reaches Rp65 trillion in a year. However, this year, the investment value of the sector in the first semester reaches Rp42 trillion, Lukman stated.
"This growth needs support from all parties, especially from the raw material industry. The existence of additional food commodities is very important in the innovation and development of processed foods," he stated.
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Translator: Sella Panduarsa G, Resinta S
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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