The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) is targeting European countries as seaweed export markets. Through participation in the Food Ingredients Europe (FIE) 2022 exhibition which is taking place in Paris, France, KKP targets to increase the market for processed products of "green gold" or seaweed from Indonesia. "In general, the processed products that we bring here (Paris) have an advantage because they are produced from the best quality raw seaweed from Indonesia," said Acting Director General of Competitiveness of Maritime and Fishery Products (PDSPKP), Ishartini, said through a statement. written, Saturday (10/12/2022). Ishartini revealed that KKP involved 7 main exporters of processed seaweed such as carrageenan and agar (hydrocolloid). The 7 companies are PT Hakiki Donarta, PT Surya Indoalgas, PT. Amarta Carrageenan Indonesia, PT Hydrocolloid Indonesia, PT Rote Carrageenan Nusantara and PT Agar Swallow. He said currently Indonesia's hydrocolloid exports to the European Union (EU) market were still very small considering that most of the EU's needs were supplied by Ireland, France and Germany. Carrying the brand "Indonesia Seaweed: Natural binding solutions to the world", KKP wants to show that "green gold" from Indonesian waters is of no less quality and can be a solution to support world food security. "Thank God, during the exhibition, many trade contacts occurred and it was recorded that potential transactions of nearly USD 10 million with products of interest were Semi Refined Carrageenan, Refined Carrageenan, Agar Powder, Seaweed Protein, Phytafiber, KR100 Carrageenan, Konjac Visuiles, Konjac Gum, Kappa, Iota, ATC Kappa, Kappa Chips, SRC Kappa Meat, SRC Kappa Dairy, SRC Kappa Noodle," explained Ishartini.
The prospective buyers who are interested in Indonesian seaweed products come from France, South Korea, Czech, Italy, Netherlands, Turkey, USA, Iran, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Hungary, Israel, Vietnam, Malaysia, Germany, Malta, Algeria, China, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Egypt, Serbia, Panama, Chile, Japan, India, Spain, Philippines, Sweden, Argentina. "Hopefully the results of this exhibition can increase access and penetration of Indonesian hydrocolloid products not only in the European Union market, but also in the world market," hoped Ishartini. For information, FIE is the largest food additive industry exhibition in the world. This exhibition was first held in 1986 and during its implementation has been attended by more than 500,000 visitors. This exhibition is held every 2 years in major cities in Europe with visitor profiles including food and beverage suppliers, research and development, production and marketing specialists and displays a variety of new innovations related to ingredients and services. The FIE 2022 was attended by around 1,200 participants from 135 countries and was attended by more than 20,000 visitors. "We facilitate the cost of renting land, and sharing the construction costs of the Indonesian Pavilion with exporters as part of promoting and increasing the competitiveness of Indonesian marine products," he concluded. Previously, the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Sakti Wahyu Trenggono conveyed a number of programs that would become KKP's priorities in 2023. One of them is the policy of developing export-oriented aquaculture with one of the leading commodities of seaweed besides shrimp, lobster and crab.
