He extended the invitation after speaking with a Chinese doctoral student who was interested in learning about the benefits of Indonesia’s transmigration program, not only for Indonesians but also for the Chinese people.
China is one of the world’s largest durian consumers, importing around Rp115 trillion (US$6.7 billion) worth of the fruit each year.
However, China lacks the suitable geographical conditions to cultivate durian, while Indonesia’s tropical climate and vast land areas are ideal for developing this premium commodity.
“China spends Rp115 trillion on durian annually, but it has no suitable areas for cultivation. In Indonesia, we can plant durian almost anywhere,” Suryanagara said on Saturday (October 18).
He proposed concrete cooperation through investment partnerships between China and transmigration areas in Indonesia to establish export-oriented durian plantations and increase local value-added processing.
“I invite them to bring capital and technology, and we will provide the land and workforce in Indonesia to grow durian trees,” the minister said.
“In addition to meeting domestic consumption, we can export the fruit to China with better productivity and quality,” he added.
Suryanagara said such cross-border cooperation would bring dual benefits, strengthening the economy of transmigrant communities, expanding markets for Indonesian fruit exports, and fostering new centers of productive economic growth in transmigration areas.
However, he did not specify the technical details of the investment proposal, such as the implementation mechanism, partnership scheme, or priority transmigration areas for development.
The minister added that the government is currently preparing more than 500,000 hectares of productive transmigration land for future industrial and agricultural investments.
“We are conducting an inventory of transmigration land, and more than 500,000 hectares remain available for development,” he noted.
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Translator: Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Primayanti
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