REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesia will promote its typical fruits and flowers at the International Nusantara Fruits and Flowers Festival in Bogor, West Java, on November 17-20, 2016.
Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman stated here on Monday that the event was being organized by the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB) in coordination with the agriculture, tourism, and small medium enterprises ministries.
"President Joko Widodo hopes this event will be the largest ever to be held in the history of Indonesia," Amran noted.
The minister affirmed that the international festival offered an opportunity to increase the value of Indonesia's fresh fruit exports, which had grown from year to year.
The Ministry of Agriculture noted that the production of five major fruits --- banana, orange, mango, pineapple, and durian --- had increased by 4.72 percent in 2015 as compared to the previous year.
Meanwhile, the value of Indonesia's fresh fruit exports also grew from US$28.9 million in 2014 to $37.7 million in 2015.
The trade value of ornamental plants also increased. In 2015, the export value rose to $24.9 million from $16.58 million in the previous year.
Meanwhile, IPB Rector Herry Suhardiyanto stated that the International Festival of Fruits and Flowers was one of the national programs to support the Orange Revolution Movement launched by the government.
The movement aims to develop Indonesia's fruit plantations to reduce dependence on imported fruits.
Herry emphasized that the festival was expected to increase the quantity, quality, consistency, and sustainability of Indonesia's fruit and flower imports.
The international festival will feature an international innovation exhibition, business matchmaking forum, and export business training.
A total of 500 international trade groups to participate in the festival comprise importers, distributors, retail businesses, food and beverage manufacturers, chambers of commerce, international cooperation marketing agency, and world trade organizations.
The participants hail from the ASEAN countries, China, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, the Middle East countries, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe and America.
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