"A lot of imported fruits that come to the country have rivaled local fruits," he said at the Nusantara Fruit and Flower Festival 2013 at the Bogor Institute of Agriculture here on Sunday.
He said the key to overcome the problem was improving the competitiveness of local fruits.
He said Indonesia has strategic areas for development of tropical fruits which could not be produced in sub-tropical areas. "So we will develop their production," he added.
He said people had to be encouraged to love local fruits to make the program successful so that "imported products would not flood the domestic market."
He said the production of imported products was still 10 percent compared to local production but in the field "we are still deficit."
He said through "Orange Revolution" movement including the festival of fruits and flowers the minister the people`s love to local fruits would be improved.
"This is good and so the event must be continued in the future," he said.
The rector of the Bogor Institute of Agriculture, Prof Herry Suhardiyanto MSc, the institute is ready to develop is innovation to support development in the production of local flowers and fruits.***4***
reporting by laily rahmawati
(KR-LR/H-YH/A014)
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
Copyright © ANTARA 2013
