West Kalimantan Province has again exported agricultural commodities worth IDR 291.2 billion to 19 countries in the world. The release of exports was carried out at the Dwikora Container Port in Pontianak and carried out simultaneously at 33 export gates in Indonesia, Friday (31/12). This indicates that the agricultural sector is a buffer for economic growth during the pandemic. Head of Pontianak Class I Agricultural Quarantine Center, Drh. Amir Hasanuddin said the year-end export celebration entitled "Synergy of Escort to Realize Sustainable and Global Agriculture" was a collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Indonesian Police. "West Kalimantan exports agricultural commodities worth IDR 291.2 billion, with 19 destination countries, namely Hong Kong, Singapore, United States, Malaysia, Pakistan, China, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Cambodia, Bangladesh, England, Australia, Netherlands, Vietnam, Turkey, Iraq, Taiwan, South Korea, and India," said Amir as quoted by pontianakpost.co.id. The types of commodities exported include rubber, RBD (Refined, Bleached, Deodorized) palm olein, Palm Kernel Expeller (PKE), round coconut, coconut flour, coconut milk, areca nut, ornamental plant seeds, and dried Nipah leaves.

"We hope that the export movement will continue to be encouraged in West Kalimantan so that it can benefit the region and the community," he said. Meanwhile, nationally, the export excitement at the end of this year was released directly by the Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo, through the Makassar Container Terminal, Soekarno-Hatta Sea Port, Makassar, South Sulawesi. On that occasion, Minister of Agriculture Syahrul Yasin Limpo said that the volume of agricultural exports this time reached 1.3 million tons, worth Rp. 14.4 trillion to 124 countries. "Closing the end of 2021, we will carry out simultaneous exports from 34 provinces with live exports of 1.3 million tons worth IDR 14.4 trillion to 124 destination countries. This proves that there are no regions that do not export. Next year, we will make our exports triple this," said Minister of Agriculture Syahrul Yasin Limpo.
Yasin emphasized that the agricultural sector in the last two years, namely during the Covid-19 pandemic, became the main buffer for national economic growth. The reason is, based on BPS data, only GDP in the agricultural sector grew positively in the second quarter of 2020, namely 16.4 percent, while other sectors experienced contraction. "Then the value of agricultural exports from January to December 2021 amounted to IDR 451.77 trillion, an increase of 15.79 percent compared to 2019 which was only IDR 390.19 trillion," he said. "The performance of the agricultural sector has also been shown to have no rice imports in the last two years. This year, we have a surplus of nine million tons of rice. Therefore, to strengthen the agricultural sector in the future, we need an escort from the police,” he added.

Meanwhile, National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo, who was also present at the event, said that his party appreciated the achievements of the Ministry of Agriculture (Kentan) under the leadership of Minister of Agriculture Syahrul Yasin Limpo who was able to become the agricultural sector as the savior of national economic growth in difficult times, namely the Covid-19 pandemic to date. Closing 2021 can carry out an export boom with an export value of Rp. 14.4 trillion, so this is a really visible performance and is not easy to realize if not with hard work. "Moreover, this was achieved during the Covid-19 pandemic, the world was experiencing difficulties and economic growth in all sectors experienced a contraction. However, the Ministry of Agriculture has provided extraordinary growth as evidenced by the surplus in its export value," he said.

Sigit emphasized that the Minister of Agriculture, Syarul Yasin Limpo, had not only succeeded in increasing the value of exports but was also able to create a surplus of rice production so that there is currently a rice stock of 9 million tons. According to him, this is certainly an extraordinary achievement because it is proven by the police in the field by checking food stocks every three months. "We from the police are ready to synergize to carry out escorts to strengthen the national food stock. And earlier, the Minister said that in 2022 he plans to export rice, if this happens it will certainly break a record. The existence of a stock of nine million tons of rice certainly makes this country calm and there is no need for imports," he said.

Source: https://kalbar.prokal.co/read/news/5170-tahun-2021-kalbar-ekspor-komoditas-pertanian-rp-2912-m.html