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Activities in the food and beverage industry. ANTARA/HO-Industry Ministry Public Relation/sh

The food and beverage industry continued to make the largest contribution to exports in the manufacturing sector, with US$13.73 billion and $10.87 billion in exports respectively during the first semester of 2020.

"Food and beverage industries registered a high demand during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is since people are looking to consume nutritious food to boost their immunity," Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita noted in a statement in Jakarta on Thursday.

Kartasasmita pointed out that small- and medium-scale enterprises dominated the country’s food and beverage industry, so it can become a backbone for the country's economy.

"In accordance with the Making Indonesia 4.0 roadmap, we have set a target for Indonesia's food and beverage industry to dominate the Southeast Asian market," Kartasasmita stated.

Some food and beverage products already have a potential market abroad, such as instant noodles in African nations. To this end, the ministry has encouraged market expansion and export-oriented product diversification.

In the basic metal industry, the improved added value of natural resources has augmented foreign exchange revenue from exports. Moreover, this has breathed new life into the industry to absorb workers, he remarked.

With its position as the mother of industries -- as its products have been used as raw materials for other sectors, such as automotive, maritime, and electronics -- the basic metal industry has also served as the backbone for the country's economy.

"We are encouraging the metal industry to enter the Industry 4.0 through the application of digital technology. This is aimed at boosting productivity and quality. Industry 4.0 is not aimed at reducing the workforce but instead to improve the added value of human resources," he expounded.

During the period from January to June 2020, the export value of manufacturing products had touched $60.76 billion, or 79.52 percent of the total exports of $76.41 billion.

"We will continue to maintain the momentum by accelerating the stimulus for the manufacturing sector in the second semester of 2020. This could encourage the export-oriented industry to increase its production capacity," Kartasasmita explained.  (ANTARA)