November 18, 2025 | 04:48 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia's West Sumatra exported 27 tons of gambier to India on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, underscoring the province’s position as the world’s largest producer of the commodity.
Trade Minister Budi Santoso and West Sumatra Governor Mahyeldi Ansharullah officiated the release of the shipment.
Governor Mahyeldi reported gradual growth in gambier cultivation. Planted area increased from 28,737 hectares in 2023 to 28,760 hectares in 2024, while output rose from 24,341 tons to 25,818 tons, with productivity averaging 0.9 tons per hectare.
Indonesia exported 13,089 tons of gambier in 2022, valued at Rp548.5 billion. Export value dipped to Rp534.7 billion in 2023 but rebounded to Rp574.7 billion in 2024.
Mahyeldi noted that changes in India, the primary export destination, directly affect farmers across West Sumatra.
“This shows how sensitive the gambier market is to global dynamics. Around 80 percent of our exports still go to India,” he said.
He also highlighted persistent logistical issues, particularly at Teluk Bayur Port, which continues to face limited capacity, inconsistent shipping services, and high freight costs. These challenges push many exporters to use larger ports such as Belawan or Tanjung Priok instead.
“This makes West Sumatra’s export performance appear low in national statistics, which affects the central government’s attention,” Mahyeldi said.
The governor called for three key forms of support from the Trade Ministry: establishing farmer-friendly export arrangements, accelerating the classification of gambier derivative products under international HS Codes, and expanding market access to reduce dependency on India.
He emphasized that West Sumatra supplies roughly 80 percent of global gambier demand, with major production centers in Lima Puluh Kota and Pesisir Selatan regencies.
“Gambier drives our regional economy and supports thousands of farming families,” he said.
Trade Minister Budi Santoso stressed the importance of downstream processing to expand Indonesia’s gambier market. Currently, raw gambier exports remain heavily reliant on India.
“If we keep exporting raw materials, only India benefits from the processing. We must shift to producing finished goods, such as soap, coffee blends, beauty products, and health supplements, that can reach global markets,” Budi said in Padang.
He encouraged West Sumatra to boost exports of other high-potential crops, including coffee, betel nut, and cocoa, citing rising global demand.
Indonesia’s agricultural and plantation exports grew 34 percent from January to September 2025, highlighting significant opportunities for producing regions.
“Padang has quality products—they should be ready to export. We will collaborate,” he said.
The Trade Ministry will also expand its SMEs Can Export program in West Sumatra, offering online business matching paired with government assistance. Between January and August 2025, the program generated US$130.17 million (around Rp2.1 trillion) in transactions.
“Next year, products like coffee, betel nut, and cocoa must already be entering export markets,” Budi said.
Indonesia is concurrently expanding global market access through trade agreements being finalized with the European Union, Canada, Peru, Tunisia, and Eurasian countries.
These agreements aim to reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers, creating easier pathways for Indonesian products to enter international markets.
Domestically, the ministry will help connect producers with major retail chains, provided their products meet quality standards and can compete with imports.
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