Exports of Indonesian agricultural products up

Medan (ANTARA News) - Exports of Indonesian agricultural products such as coffee, cocoa, and rubber increased in volume as well as in value this year, a trade ministry official said here on Tuesday.

The head of the sub-directorate of plantations of the ministry`s directorate of plantation and agriculural product exports, Lamsudin Sitindaon, said the rise of the country`s exports of agricultural products was encouraging in spite of many barriers.

He said the barriers that could threaten North Sumatra`s exports of plantation products include negative campaigns by various parties abroad on the country`s plantation products.

"Thank God Indonesian businessmen could stil maintain their exports and have even been able to boost them," he said.

He said the government should continue helping the country`s exporters through cooperation with other countries that also produced similar products to counter the campaign.

Until April this year the Indonesia`s foreign exchange earning from exports of agricultural products had reached US$1.034 billion, up 6.68 percent from the same period last year.

Last year the country`s exports of agricultural products reached US$3.406 billion.

North Sumatra`s coffee exporter, Suryo Pranoto, said the price of agricultural products was higher than last year`s.

The price of Arabica coffee, for example, this year reached US$3,200 per metric ton. "The price is good because demand is high," the president director of PT Sarimakmur Tunggalmandiri said.