RRI.CO.ID, Bengkulu - The Bengkulu Agricultural Quarantine Agency has successfully cleared 22 tons of locally harvested kolang-kaling (sugar palm fruit) for export to Vietnam, marking another milestone in the province's drive to expand its international agribusiness footprint.

The 22,000-kilogram consignment originated from agricultural hubs within Bengkulu and was transported to Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta, where it was shipped directly to its Vietnamese buyers. Prior to departure, the cargo underwent rigorous quarantine inspections to secure a Phytosanitary Certificate, verifying that the agricultural goods are healthy, pest-free, and fully compliant with the food safety requirements mandated by Vietnam.

Head of Bengkulu Agricultural Quarantine Agency Betty Fajarwati emphasized on Sunday, July 19, 206, that the state agency remains dedicated to providing end-to-end administrative support to local exporters.

"Bengkulu Quarantine is always ready to assist business actors and exporters in every stage of export, starting from fulfilling quarantine requirements to issuing health certificates. Thus, agricultural commodities originating from Bengkulu have a guarantee of quality and safety so that they can be well received in the export destination country," Betty said, as quoted by Antara.

She noted that the breakthrough shipment demonstrates a widening market appetite for Bengkulu’s premium crops in competitive international markets. She noted that the agency's commitment to delivering fast, professional, and internationally standardized compliance checks is central to bolstering the global competitiveness of the province's primary products.

The agency hopes that this inaugural shipment will open the floodgates for continuous exports with progressively larger volumes, provided local farmers maintain rigorous product quality. The sugar palm trees that yield kolang-kaling thrive across Bengkulu's distinct geography, particularly throughout the fertile highlands of Rejang Lebong Regency, anchoring the area as one of Indonesia's primary hubs for the specialty fruit.

Beyond kolang-kaling, local authorities are looking to scale up the global market readiness of several other strategic regional commodities. Bengkulu possesses substantial export-ready volumes of robusta coffee, betel nut, coconut, rubber, and cocoa, which the government intends to downstream to secure higher profit margins for smallholder farmers and accelerate regional economic growth. ***