ISHS Acta Horticulturae 369: Symposium on Small Scale vegetable production and Horticultural Economics in Developing Countries
KEYNOTE LECTURE INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN HORTICULTURAL PRODUCTS |
| Author: | J. Soedradjad Djiwandono |
| Abstract:
The role of the horticultural sector is still very important in the structure of the Indonesian economy. It is significant not only from perspective of its share in the Gross Domestic Product, but also in view of its importance in Indonesia's social structure, particularly in rural areas. Hence, in the national development plan, increasing industrialization must be supported by a strong agricultural sector. To strengthen the agricultural sector, diversification of crops and food products provides broader business opportunities and more stable income for the farmers and those involved in agribusiness. The range of crops and processed foods produced by the agricultural sector in Indonesia today is very diverse. It is not limited to the old, traditional plantation crops of rubber, coffee, tobacco, tea, and copra, but includes an increasing variety of non-traditional crops such as fruits, vegetables and flowers, produced by small farmers as well as large-scale agribusiness. The development of horticultural crops, apart from utilizing the land more efficiently, also offers the farmers alternative source of income and reduces their reliance on monoculture crops. Over the long term, this reduces the risk of relying on single crop both for the individual farmers and the national economy. Horticultural products, however, are more highly perishable than the more traditional crops and must be handled with more care, starting with the selection of seedlings and planting, through harvesting, packaging and transport of the products. This requires the farmers to develop special skills in addition to the processors and distributors. This is particularly important when the products will be marketed overseas, where quality requirements are usually more strictly observed. The prospects for marketing horticultural products abroad are bright, according to data on the growth of world trade in such products. Moreover, the demand for high quality, fresh products in developed countries is expected to rise as their standards of living and income rise and their preferences move toward selecting the freshest and most nutritious products. However, the scope of opportunities also carries a number of challenges, namely the increasingly strict quality requirements for foodstuffs for health and safety reasons, for example, FDA requirements placed on imports of foodstuffs into U.S.A. Thus, the culturing and processing of horticultural products, especially those targeted to overseas markets, must be carefully designed and | |
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