The Indonesian government has successfully exported 50,000 tons of porang, a tuber plant also used as a herbal product, to China, demonstrating Indonesia's contribution to strengthening the global agro-industrial supply chain. This export was facilitated by the Ministry of Industry (Kemenperin) through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between PT Agrobisnis Komoditas Indonesia (Agrasi) and GuangXi Huapin Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd. Putu Juli Ardika, the Director General of Agro-Industry at Kemenperin, explained that in the initial phase of the collaboration, 21 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) received assistance in the form of porang chip drying machine production facilities. He added that the goal is to transfer technology and begin producing glukomanan flour in accordance with industry specifications by 2028.
On January 4, 2024, both parties will sign a six-year contract for the purchase and sale of porang chips, with an agreement to trade 25,000 tons per year from 2024 to 2030. Following this, on November 26, 2024, a further agreement was made to increase the trade volume to 50,000 tons per year. The expansion in porang exports will also be accompanied by the provision of drying machines that meet the domestic component level (TKDN) certification, to be used by SMEs in Indonesia's production centers. Putu emphasized that this collaboration aims to stabilize the price of porang, which is expected to remain in the range of Rp 4,000–Rp 4,500 per kilogram, helping to maintain farmer motivation and ensure a continuous global supply of porang. Looking ahead, Putu expressed hopes that by 2030, Indonesia will have developed a glukomanan refining industry at 95% capacity, positioning the country as a key player in the global glukomanan market.
