Jakarta,
Nov 18, 2016 (Antara) - Fruit is an integral part of Indonesia's culture, as
many local rituals and ceremonies make use of fruits.
Every region in Indonesia has its respective specific tropical and
exotic fruits that have been cultivated in large scales.
Therefore, fruit plantations are not only good to produce fruits for
domestic and international markets but also for agro-tourism.
Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman said at least 12 varieties of local
fruits have been recognized as Indonesia's endemic fruits.
"They
are Balinese 'keprok' pomelos, durians, mangoes, mangosteens, avocados,
pineapples, rambutans, salaks, bananas, papayas, melons and
watermelons," the minister said.
Indonesia is believed to have a huge potential to become one of the
world's largest fruit exports, because the country has been blessed with
fertile land and fruits that are abundant both qualitatively and
quantitatively.
In
2014, Indonesia produced 1,999 tons of oranges, 856,000 tons of
durians, 2,464 tons of mangoes, 111,000 tons of mangosteens, 306,000
tons of avocados, 1,874 tons of pineapples, 733,000 tons of rambutans,
1,036 tons of salaks, 1,080 tons of bananas, 830,000 tons of papayas,
184,000 tons of melons and 684,000 tons of watermelons.
