The utilization of the food and beverage industries in Indonesia has reached 89 percent amid the pandemic, acting Director General of Agro-based Industry at the Ministry of Industry Putu Juli Ardika has informed.
Production at food and beverage factories is still on track, and demand is increasing both in the domestic as well as the foreign market, he noted.
This has helped boost Indonesia's foreign exchange reserves and proved that the nation's industry has the potential to compete in the global market, he said.
According to the Ministry of Industry, the food and beverage industry was one of the most significant sectors that helped national manufacturing exports to skyrocket in the first six months of 2021.
The total export value of the non-oil and gas processing industry from January to June, 2021 reached US$19.58 billion, an increase of 21.68 percent compared to the year-ago period.
The food and beverage industry attracted investment of Rp36.6 trillion -- Rp14.7 trillion in domestic investment (PMDN) and Rp21.9 trillion in foreign investment (PMA) -- in the first half of 2021 amid the pandemic, as per ministry data.
To support the performance of the food and beverage industry and help factories continue production, the Industry Ministry is determined to maintain the availability of raw materials, Ardika said.
The food and beverage industry is also a labor-intensive sector and is responsible for increasing the added value of domestic raw materials, he added.
Source: Antara News
Reporter: Risbiani F, Resinta S
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Original published date: 31 July, 2021
August 02, 2021
