Japan doubt the quality of Indonesia’s cocoa

Japan, as one of Indonesian cocoa exports destination, it still doubt the quality and security of Indonesia cocoa production as foodstuff. Japan concerned of a high level of herbicide use in the Indonesian cocoa production process.  The Japanese government finally trying to tighten requirements for the quality and safety of cocoa which export to their country. In 2009, the Japanese government introduced legislation on food which set a limit on the chemical content of herbicides on cocoa or other food commodities for 0.01 ppm.

In addition, the Government of Japan also requires that each shipment of processed cocoa products from Indonesia to Japan to attach the content-free certificate of herbicides 2,4-D (Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid). Along with the implementation of legislation on food, the Government of Indonesia would not remain silent.

Indonesia government through the Directorate General of Agriculture Ministry of Agriculture, seeking a variety of ways to convince the Government of Japan to remain faithful to the quality of Indonesian cocoa exports. One way is taken, the Director General of Agriculture Ministry of Agriculture, assisted by expert researchers from the University of Gadjah Mada University, Prof Dr Sri Noegrohati, MSc, conduct special studies on levels of herbicide and seed samples of cocoa powder to be exported to Japan.

According to Prof Dr Sri Noegrohati, Indonesia cocoa beans and cocoa powder in general contain residues of herbicides 2,4-D is very low, ie below 0.01 ppm. This means that Indonesia's exports of cocoa is safe for consumption as food. "In general, herbicide residues contain very low, ie below 0.01 ppm. Gynecologist residues were very far from the maximum limit stipulated by the government of Japan. So, the quality of our cocoa is very good and safe herbicides," she explained during a press conference at the Ministry of Agriculture.

With these findings, the Government of Indonesia plans to conduct bilateral meetings with the Government of Japan. In the meeting of the two countries, the Indonesian Government requested the Japanese Government will revoke the decision that requires each shipment of processed cocoa products to the Japanese attach a certificate of the content-free 2.4-D herbicide.

Lampung Coffee threatened rejected in Japan

Robusta coffee bean exports from Lampung threatened rejected in Japan because the Japan's quarantine agency indicated that coffee contains chemical residues of carbaryl. "Based on information from several exporters that most coffee is exported to Japan containing carbaryl indicated above the threshold set by the Government of Japan," said Chairman Renlitbang BPD and Lampung Exporters Association of Indonesian Coffee Industry (AEKI) Lutfie Muchtar, in Bandarlampung.

The information was based on a letter from BPP AEKI dated December 17, 2009 related to the chemical residues of carbaryl addressed to all AEKI members AEKI. According Muchtar, besides Lampung, exporters from East Java and South Sumatra also reported the same thing to the BPP AEKI-related the Japanese refusal.

Consequently, he said, when coffee contain chemical residues above the predetermined threshold, the Government of Japan will destroy or return such commodities. According to him, based on the "positive list system" prevailing in Japan since mid-2006, carbaryl does not include the 15 substances banned agrochemical in Japan. Nevertheless residue content should not exceed a certain threshold of 0.01 ppm.

In connection with this, he asked the farmers not to use pesticides containing the chemical carbaryl as the active ingredient of Sevin 85 S, Petrovin 85 WP and Indovin 85 SP. Among the three pesticides are the most widely used in Indonesia is Sevin 85 S to pest control several types of corn plants, peppers, peanuts, cotton, sugarcane, coconut, tea, palm oil, tobacco and coffee.

Muchtar said, carbaryl (Sevin 85 S) is widely used to fertilize ‘catch crop’ around the coffee plants like peppers, corn, vegetables and others. So that contamination has occurred at the coffee when pesticides are used on many catch crops  are planted on farms in Lampung.

AEKI Lampung also expect related agencies such as Department of Agriculture to provide more intensive counseling centers coffee plantation in Lampung. Lampung coffee plantation centers located in West Lampung District, Waykanan, North Lampung, and Tanggamus. Until now AEKI Lampung exporters did not know this area that provide relevant information that indicated coffee containing carbaryl.

Garuda Indonesia will fly back to the flight route from Jakarta to Malang

Garuda Indonesia will fly back to the flight route from Jakarta to Malang on December 21, 2009 as the improvement of the runway at Abdul Rachman Saleh Airport, Malang, East Java. "This decision was based on the results of verification of eligibility and the improvements made in the airport's runway by a team of Directorate General of Civil Aviation of Indonesia," said Senior General Manager of PT Garuda Indonesia East Indonesia Area, Suranto.

According Suranto, strengthened verification results validate the carrying capacity of the foundation by the Department of Transportation team. Suranto said that the current airport has been able to be used again for take off and landing aircraft types Boeing 737-300, 737-400, and 737-500 had. "The flight back was given during the Christmas holidays New Year's 2009 and 2010 getting closer," he said.

To provide the best service, Garuda Indonesia ready to provide a safe and comfortable flight safety standards for prospective service users in the route flight. "For the flight Malang-Jakarta-Malang we operate a Boeing 737-300 type aircraft with a seating capacity of 16 business and 94 economy," he said. However, added Suranto, while there is only one flight each day ie at 13:20 pm from Jakarta to Malang and at 15:20 pm from Malang to Jakarta. "Estimating the flight travel time 1 hour 20 minutes," he said.

Lion Air added four new aircraft

Lion Air to bring four new aircraft types Boeing 737-900ER that will arrive in Cengkareng on December 22, 2009. The new aircraft will register the number of aircraft operated by Lion Air for 30 units. "Until the end of December Lion Air has operated a total of 30 aircraft from the 178 units ordered," said Lion Air General Director Edward Sirait, Tuesday (15/12). New aircraft, registered PK-LGM, PK-LGO, and PK-LGP scheduled to arrive at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on December 14, 2009. Meanwhile, one other unit registered LGQ PK will arrive in Cengkareng on December 22, 2009.

Boeing 737-900 ER aircraft is an aircraft that has a range of flying farther, faster, not noisy, more environmentally friendly, and more economical. In fact, the plane was equipped with technological devices that enable a high level of accuracy as it was landing, the weather radar system that can detect a better obstacle, the application can increase the winglet stability, and fuel efficiency.

"Development is no longer the fleet to improve services. This is operated to increase the flight frequency and aircraft type to replace another," Edward Sirait said.

Later, the four new aircraft will be operated to increase the frequency per day from Jakarta to Singapore (6 times), Jakarta-Medan (14 times), Jakarta-Surabaya (11 times), and Jakarta-Depansar (7 times). In addition, the fleet will increase as the eastern route : Makassar-Luwuk, Makassar-Manokrawi, and Makassar-Sorong.

Previously, Lion Air managed to fly from Jakarta to Jeddah with a load factor reached 96% in the two months since it was first launched on November 7, 2009. For the domestic market, Lion Air to record load factor reached 80% with a frequency of 250-260 per day reached flights per day.

Big Opportunities of Fruit Export to Singapore

Chairman of the Association of Exporters and Vegetables Fruits Indonesia (AESBI) Hasan J Widjaja said that export opportunities of vegetables and fruits to Singapore big enough. "So far the export of vegetables and fruits Indonesia to Singapore was not more than six per cent, whereas the country needs to reach 1,000 tons per day," he said, in Magelang. He said that announce as an increase in export competitiveness and accelerate dissemination of market information of agricultural products in the village of Kaliurang, Srumbung District, Magelang District.

Geographically, Hasan said, Indonesia is very close to Singapore but the opportunity to export vegetables and fruits have not worked optimally. According to him, there are several kinds of fruit that Indonesia has yet been signed in Singapore, and has a substantial opportunity for quality products is not inferior to other countries that have been supplied to these countries.

"Types fruits of papaya, bananas, and avocados from Indonesia, Singapore has never touched, and salak fruit is one of the new commodity in Singapore, so many people there who do not know how to open the bow," he said. Hasan said, avocado fruit is interest by Singaporean, but the avocado come into Singapore is a small type, not like the avocado fruit from Indonesia, a large and thick flesh.

According to Hasan, other than to sell fruit on the understanding they need to provide when the fruit is ripe and how the color when fully ripe. "Marketing mango is good cotton candy in Singapore, but they are still plagued by a fruit from Africa and Thailand that are ripe mango yellow color, while the cotton candy from Indonesia is not so, there must educate them," he said.

Hasan said AESBI will continue to increase exports of vegetables and fruits to Singapore, the 2010 target increased to 10 percent and the year 2014 target to 30 percent. According to him, Singapore became a pilot project to export vegetables and fruits to other countries by applying the approach pattern through the embassy to introduce Indonesia vegetables and fruits  by then could enter in other countries later on.

Hasan said the AESBI vision and mission will continue to improve fruit and vegetable exports of Indonesia, to improve the quality and continuity in the effort to meet market share, increase in foreign exchange, increase farmers' welfare and human resources, introducing fruits and vegetables to foreign countries, and Indonesia to strengthen state busy food.

CPO market in 2011 more prospective

International market of crude palm oil in 2011 is more prospective than predicted this year. Post-crisis recovery of the world economy which led India and China make crude palm oil (CPO) demand rose sharply.

Bitter rivalry between the consumption of food and energy also will be repeated as the year 2008 as the policy of some countries require that biodiesel beginning in 2010. The producers of crude palm oil (CPO) in Indonesia and Malaysia should take advantage of this momentum to boost production by responding to increased demand. This is sticking in the Indonesian Palm Oil Conference 2009 in Nusa Dua, Bali.

These predictions is the analysis of Thomas Mielke of Oil World (vegetable oil research institute based in Hamburg, Germany), Derom Bangun of Indonesian Palm Oil Council (DMSI), Ambono Janurianto of Bakrie Sumatera Plantation, and John Baker of Rabobank International.

Mielke said, the supply of vegetable oil since September 2009 until February 2010 is still limited so the price potential to increase in the next five weeks. Production of sunflower oil and canola are also weaker dependence on crude palm oil and soybeans increased.

Crude Palm Oil has now reached 56 per cent of world exports and record the highest market share growth of other vegetable oils. World crude palm oil market share grew from 11.4 million tons in 1990 to 46.6 million tons in 2009. According to Derom, January-February 2010 was a period of soaring crude palm oil demand, especially from India and China. Derom estimates, the CPO price in Rotterdam can range from 800-825 U.S. dollars per ton and 2,700 U.S. dollars per ton in Malaysia in the quarter I-2010.

2010, Sriwijaya Air Open Business Class

The airline company - PT Sriwijaya Air - plans to add six aircraft and three new routes in 2010. Fleet and the addition of these routes will be followed by the opening of business class for the target segment of the corporation or business people. Commercial Director of PT Sriwijaya Air Toto Nursatyo explained, currently Sriwijaya Air has 24 aircraft types Boeing 737. The number consists of 13 aircraft of Boeing 737-200 and 11 aircraft of Boeng 737-300 and 737-400. "The aircraft type will be added to our fleet is Boeing 737-800 so we will have 30 aircraft by the end of 2010. Meanwhile, Boeing 737-200 aircraft types over the age of 30 years will be rejuvenated," said Toto.

End of 2008, Sriwijaya Air still has only 17 aircraft. But now, the growth of aircraft ownership reaches 40 percent of the 140 routes in 31 domestic destinations and two international destinations.Three routes to be added is Semarang-Pangkalan Bun, Semarang-Banjarmasin and Semarang-Ujung Pandang. Of all the existing routes, Semarang-Jakarta and Semarang-Surabaya ranked highest. Toto said, load factor in Semarang reached 91 percent, while the average load factor 86 percent nationally.

As of April 2010 Sriwijaya Air will also open a business class. Opening it is believed would raise expectations of airline passengers who had only opened the economy class. "With the opening of business class, we expect our market segment increased. With the increase in market segments, we were ready to continue to be criticized for the better," he said. Therefore, since the beginning of 2008, Sriwijaya began much cooperation with employers associations, corporations or local government or by making Sriwijaya Card. Network expansion effort that is a step to reach the corporate segment.

Sriwijaya Air currently control 12.5 percent of the domestic aviation market, increase from last year's market share of 11.4 percent. From 4.3 million passengers in 2008, Sriwijaya Air targets 5.1 million passengers in 2009 and 6.5 million passengers in 2010. District Manager Sriwijaya Air Semarang Hendrik Ardiansyah said, the potential for a business trip from Semarang to Banjarmasin very high. He is optimistic, if the new route is opened, the market response will be very good.