The Indonesian Agricultural Quarantine Agency (Barantin) is committed to supporting and facilitating the export of Indonesian edible bird's nests to China to enhance national foreign exchange. This commitment was highlighted during a strategic working visit to China and a visit to the Yanzhiwu Ecological Industrial Park in Tong'an District, Xiamen, on Monday, 10 June 2024. "The main focus of this visit is to demonstrate the Indonesian government's commitment, through Barantin, to monitoring and overseeing export commodities, particularly edible bird's nests exported from Indonesia to China," said Barantin Head Sahat M. Panggabean in Jakarta on Saturday. This visit follows key meetings between Indonesia and China, such as the IV High-Level Dialogue Mechanism (HDCM) in Labuan Bajo and discussions between the Indonesian Quarantine Agency and the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC). Sahat assured that Barantin will ensure compliance with international food safety standards for Indonesian food commodities, especially edible bird's nests. He also invited major Chinese companies to invest in Indonesia to build downstream processing plants and ready-to-drink factories.
Yanzhiwu, the largest seller of edible bird's nest products in China and a leader in the industry, hosted the visit. Their factory spans 15 hectares and is the first to use the green smart factory concept. PT Esta Indonesia, a Yanzhiwu partner and one of Indonesia's first qualified edible bird's nest exporters, accompanied Barantin officials. Yanzhiwu sources all its raw edible bird's nests from Indonesia, importing about 70 tons in 2023, which constituted 20% of Indonesia's total exports to China. This is expected to increase to over 150 tons by 2027. Indonesia is the largest producer of edible bird's nests, contributing 75% of the global supply, while China is the largest consumer, absorbing 80% of the production. In 2022, Indonesia exported 1,416 tons of edible bird's nests globally, with exports to China showing the highest annual increase. In 2023, exports to China rose significantly to 408 tons, valued at over IDR 8 trillion. PT Esta Indonesia CEO Hoo Anton Siswanto highlighted the visit as a follow-up to a March 2024 collaboration agreement between the Indonesian National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Yanzhiwu, and PT Esta Indonesia to establish a research center for edible bird's nests in Indonesia. "This cooperation aims not only for commercial gain but also for the sustainable development of the edible bird's nest industry from upstream to downstream," he said.
