Amidst claims of European consumers shifting their grain consumption from wheat to rice due to tightening global supplies, this situation has not hindered the export prospects for processed grain-based products from Indonesia. The Acting Director of Export Development of Primary Products at the Ministry of Trade (Kemendag), Miftah Farid, explained that the data shows an increase in exports from Indonesia to Europe, particularly biscuits. "There has been an increase in exports for processed food based on wheat, such as biscuits. In 2023, it has grown by over 10%, specifically 12.18%," he stated during the press conference at The Global Food Marketplace, known as Salon International de l'Alimentation (SIAL Interfood), held at the Ministry of Trade's office on Wednesday (11/1/2023). Indonesia is, in fact, one of the world's wheat importers. Data from APTINDO showed that in 2022, Indonesia imported nearly 9.5 million tons of wheat, and during January-May 2023, it imported almost 4.2 million tons.
"Food preparation such as semi-finished meals has grown by 151%. This indicates the relevance of the substitution of wheat. There is indeed growth in sectors that use wheat as their raw material," he continued. In addition to finished foods like biscuits, there are other raw materials from Indonesia that have the potential for increased sales, such as fishery products. The Chairman of the Association of Indonesian Fishery Product Processing and Marketing (AP51), Budhi Wibowo, mentioned that this product is still not optimally entering the European market. Hence, the opportunities for market share expansion are substantial. "Fishery products rank fifth in the European market, so the share has not been very significant until now. There have been issues, especially regarding prices; their purchase prices are not too high. The primary export destinations are the United States, China, Japan, ASEAN, and then Europe, accounting for 3-4% of the total export value," he explained. Previously, the Director of Business at Perum Bulog, Febby Novita, revealed a new phenomenon in European society. According to her, there has been a shift in the staple foods of European residents from wheat to rice. She mentioned that this shift has been ongoing for months due to the increase in wheat prices from the warring countries of Russia and Ukraine that has affected the wheat market, and there has been an increase in exports from Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan, Myanmar to European countries.
