Indonesia has an opportunity to export avocados to Japan after Japanese importer Great Giant Foods (GGF) met with the agriculture attaché of the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo for the import of the Indonesian fresh fruit.

"Avocado is a new request, and we will convey it to the director general of horticulture to follow up on it," Agriculture Attaché of the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo Sri Nuryanti stated in a press release.

Nuryanti noted that despite matters still being in the process, the demand presents a huge opportunity, taking in account that Japan is currently also interested in importing various fruits from Indonesia.

He is upbeat about the export licensing process for avocados being simplified, as Japan does not produce it, so it does not turn out to be a sensitive matter of protection of domestic farmers.

Furthermore, Japan has, so far, been known as a country with quite complicated export conditions.

"Of course, I am upbeat that this export licensing process does not flare up matters. Meanwhile, the export permit for mangoes is already entering the seventh of the 13 stages," she pointed out.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries of Japan had recently also sent a letter of confirmation on the result of the Japan International Cooperation Agencys (JICAs) evaluation of the treatment of mangoes using Vapor Heat Treatment in Indonesia," she stated.

Nuryanti also expressed hope that the Director General of Horticulture of the Ministry of Agriculture would be prompt in submitting an export permit to the ministry as a standard procedure on "evaluation for the Request from Exporting Country for Lifting a Ban on Plant imports."