Being one of the leading fruit commodities, Kediri Regency pineapple has fans in foreign markets. Pineapple itself, based on data from Central Statistic Agency (BPS), is a fruit commodity with the highest exports in Indonesia and continues to show significant export developments. The Kediri Regency pineapple is no exception. On Tuesday (11/01/2022), the Maju Makmur Farmer Group Association (Gapoktan) located in Wates village, Wates sub-district, Kediri regency released pineapples weighing 9.5 tons for export, with Oman as the destination country. Gapoktan Maju Makmur has exported pineapples to several countries. But this export to Oman is for the first time in large quantities. The chairman of the Maju Makmur Gapoktan Danang Madrianto, through secretary Ahmad Habib, revealed that their success in penetrating the international market was obtained because they were diligent in doing digital marketing, be it through websites, social media, and buying and selling platforms. In addition, this group is also active in exporters' communities and associations and participates in trade exhibitions such as Trade Expo Indonesia. Before Oman, Maju Makmur Gapoktan had also exported on a small scale to Dubai and several other countries. "We have a buyer. They have come here several times to see the fruit and the process. After a 3 month approach, we finally made a deal. This is the first for the container scale. We have done it on a small scale several times," said Ahmad Habib. According to Ahmad Habib, the turnover of pineapple in Kediri Regency, any type or grade can reach 100 tons. Meanwhile, once delivery using 1 truck can reach 5 tons. For the queen simplex pineapple which is exported to Oman, it is a super-grade pineapple. Where the fruit is carefully selected and stored. "We weigh one by one. Each pineapple seed weighs at least 1 kilogram," added Ahmad Habib.
The Wates region itself is part of the Ngawasondat agropolitan region (Ngancar, Wates, Plosoklaten, Kandat) with pineapple as the main commodity. Pineapple queen simplex itself is a type of pineapple that is famous for having long durability so it is more suitable for overseas shipments. Not only sorting by weight and quality, but the cultivation process is also one that is considered for exported fruit. Moreover, in Oman, Kediri Regency pineapples enter the supermarket segment. In addition to pineapples from the Wates area, the exported pineapples also come from farmers and Gapoktan in other areas, under the auspices of the Ministry of Agriculture and Plantation of Kediri Regency. "For exports, we must also apply good agriculture practice, where cultivation and post-harvest are carried out properly and correctly," said the Head of the Department of Agriculture and Plantation of Kediri Regency, Anang Widodo, through the Head of Horticulture Management Dwi Kristiono. For taste, queen simplex pineapple has a taste that tends to be fresh and sweet, where sweetness is higher than sour. Pineapple queen simplex has a low water character. But even so, to make it more durable, the exported pineapple is coated with a special liquid from a mixture of beeswax with several other ingredients. This process is done carefully because the pineapple should not be submerged for more than 3 seconds. This coating process serves to prevent the pineapple from rotting from the outside such as from the air and insects. "After being coated with beeswax, it is dried at room temperature," said PT Tropical Jaya Operations Head Caesar Panji. This company is under the auspices of Gapoktan Maju Makmur and is a special subsidiary for pineapple exports.
