VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo has released shipments of 13.19 thousand tons of agricultural products worth Rp586.7 billion (US$41 million) to 26 countries.

The destination countries include the United States, Britain, Poland, Japan, South Korea, China, Thailand, and Latvia, he informed.

"This export is a concrete step in following President Jokowi's (Joko Widodo's) instructions," he said at the Jakarta International Container Terminal Office (JICT) Tanjung Priok, Jakarta, on Thursday.

He informed that at the time agricultural exports were released on August 17, 2021, the export rate had increased slightly by Rp7.2 trillion (almost US$504 million) in just 7 days in 341 districts and cities.

The increase illustrated that there are many products that can be used as export commodities, such as ants, larvae, and maggots, the minister said.

One example were the black and red Papuan ant nests that were exported to South Korea, he added.

"If imports represent a shortage, (then) our exports have done something for the country," he remarked.

It is expected that agricultural stakeholders will join in the effort to boost exports, Limpo said. President Jokowi has urged each region to export agricultural commodities, he noted.

As many as 26 types of commodities are currently being exported, including coconut water, round coconut, areca nut, dried larvae, pet food, and pepper, he said.

Limpo also presented health and phytosanitary certificates to the representative of Premix exporter PT Jati Perkasa Nusantara, coconut water exporter PT. Pacific Eastern Coconut Utama, and areca nut exporter PT. Patel Trading.

From January to October 2021, the value of agricultural exports reached Rp518.85 trillion (US$36 billion), an increase of 47.30 percent compared to the same period of 2020, when exports were recorded at Rp352.09 trillion (almost US$25 billion), the minister noted.

He also stressed the importance of agricultural quarantine, which is considered a necessary precaution for a large country with many islands like Indonesia.

He elaborated that inspections by laboratories, examinations of samples, and innovations regarding commodities of interest are important.

"Don't think that quarantine is just a precaution, what is being guarded is microbes, animal and plant diseases that can spread to our agricultural commodities. Quarantine is very important so as not to spread disease. No one enters our country without supervision," the minister remarked. (Antaranews)

 Indonesia’s trade surplus with Switzerland was recorded at US$1.13 billion during the January-September 2021 period, according to the Indonesian Embassy in Bern.

During that time, Indonesia’s exports to Switzerland had reached $1.14 billion, while its imports from the European country stood at $273.89 million, the embassy noted in a statement released on Thursday.

According to the Swiss Federal Customs Administration (FCA), Indonesia’s exports to Switzerland in the third quarter of 2021 had reached $432 million, while its imports from Switzerland were valued at $86.94 million.

In comparison with the previous quarter, exports had declined from $711.94 million, while imports fell from $90.88 million.

Indonesia’s exports to Switzerland mainly comprised precious metal, jewelry, footwear, non-knitted and knitted fabric, electronic appliances, household utensils, coffee, turbine machine, spare parts, essential oil, and organic chemicals.

The embassy was optimistic that bilateral trade between both nations would continue to increase in favor of Indonesia along with the robust Swiss economy in 2021.

The Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) forecast the Swiss economy to grow 3.2 percent in 2021 and further expand to 3.6 percent in 2022.

However, the KOF Economic Institute (ETH Zurich) has forecast the Swiss economy to fully recover only in 2023. (Antaranews)

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) revealed that the green industrial park in North Kalimantan will be expanded to 30 thousand hectares, from the original plan of 13 thousand hectares.

He expounded that the decision to expand the green industrial zone is based on the rising demand for green products or environment-friendly goods.

"We obtained more information yesterday. Due to the rising demand to produce more green products, we will broaden (the green industrial park) to reach 30 thousand hectares," President Jokowi remarked at the Bank Indonesia Annual Meeting here on Wednesday.

He noted that the green industrial park, located in North Kalimantan, will perhaps become the largest in the world. Its construction will begin in December 2021.

He called to immediately apply the strategy of environment-friendly economic development or green economy.

President Jokowi opined that the outlook of the world economy will rely heavily on green economic activities that prioritize sustainable growth.

Indonesia has abundant green economic wealth, such as energy from water (hydropower), geothermal energy, and wind energy resources, as well as from underwater currents and solar power, he stated.

Jokowi highlighted that the country had 4,400 rivers as hydropower resources. Thus, in the near future, the government will focus on energy production from water resources starting from the Kayan River in North Kalimantan and Mamberamo River in Papua.

"The Kayan River can yield about 13 thousand MW, while Mamberamo can approximately generate 24 thousand MW. Only two rivers can produce a total of 37 thousand MW. (Imagine how much) 4,400 rivers can result in the green economy," he expounded.

If accumulated, Indonesia's energy wealth, classified as renewable energy (EBT), will amount to 418 GW, he pointed out.

"If we manage the energy potential from geothermal, wind, underwater currents, and solar cells through consistency and courage, then we can make a breakthrough, and (energy) can be our economic strength going forward," the president expounded. (Antaranews)

Indonesia and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations have called for the prudent use of antimicrobials in farming in order to prevent a "silent pandemic".

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the biggest threats to global health, food safety and security, plants and animal production, and global economic development, said FAO Indonesia in a written statement received here on Wednesday.

According to FAO, around 700 thousand human deaths each year are related to AMR. Therefore, the global health issue of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a "silent pandemic" affecting animal and human health, it said.

Without action, by 2050, the global economy may lose more than US$6 trillion annually because of AMR -- nearly 4 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP), FAO pointed out.

In just ten years, 24 million more people may be forced into extreme poverty due to AMR -- many in low-income countries -- increasing the number of people hungry or suffering from malnutrition, it said.

Such a phenomenon, FAO said, could pose another challenge to achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs), in particular goal No. 2.

The FAO made the observations at the peak of the World Antibiotic Awareness Week campaign, held in Nusa Dua Bali since November 18, 2021 and all over the world.

AMR is rising to dangerously high levels in all parts of the world and threatening our ability to treat common infectious diseases, FAO said.

Infections affecting people -- including pneumonia, tuberculosis, blood poisoning, and gonorrhea -- and animals alike are becoming harder, and sometimes impossible, to treat as antibiotics are becoming less effective, it added.

In agriculture, it is causing production losses, damage to livelihoods, and jeopardizing food security, it said.

Moreover, AMR can spread among different hosts and the environment, and antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms can contaminate the food chain, it pointed out.

"For the agricultural, livestock, and animal health sectors, AMR poses a serious threat to the sustainability of food security and the sustainable development of animal health," Indonesian Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo, said.

"The agricultural sector will find it difficult to withstand a threat of this magnitude. We are committed to working with various stakeholders to increase the capacity of the agricultural sector to manage AMR and build resilience to the impacts of AMR," Limpo added.

Antimicrobials play a critical role in treating diseases of food-producing animals (aquatic and terrestrial) and plants, helping to ensure food security, he noted. Those medicines are used to treat animals that are already sick or to control the spread of a disease within a flock, herd, or on a farm, he said.

However, AMR in food and agriculture poses risks to food systems, livelihoods, and economies, he pointed out. Besides their direct negative impact on animals, animal diseases can also significantly affect food production, food security, and farmer livelihoods, he said. AMR increases those risks, he added.

"The use of antimicrobials in agriculture contributes to the spread of AMR and undermines the effectiveness of veterinary medicines. Making sure these treatments remain effective and available to the agriculture sector is critical," FAO Representative in Indonesia and Timor Leste, Rajendra Aryal, said. (Antaranews)