Vegetables and fruit contain various kinds of nutrients that can meet daily intake needs. The fiber and antioxidant content in vegetables can also reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and others. Vegetables are also low in calories so they can reduce the risk of obesity.
The recommendation to consume vegetables is also encouraged by the WHO (World Health Organization) or world health institution. To live a healthier life and avoid the risk of chronic disease, you need to consume at least 400 grams of vegetables and fruit every day. This recommendation from WHO also increases the desire of the world community to consume vegetables.
For those of you who live in plantation areas, you can take advantage of this as a new business opportunity with the potential for quite high profits. You can start considering a vegetable and fruit export business to international markets. Because, people are starting to realize the importance of healthy living.
Vegetable Export Potential.
The ever-increasing need for vegetables provides great opportunities for vegetable exporters. The types of vegetables that dominate the export market are green vegetables, pumpkins and root vegetables which account for 60%. Vegetables such as tomatoes can reach 22% of the world export market.
Indonesia has the ability to export several types of fresh vegetables because their domestic availability is still abundant. According to the Director General of Horticulture at the Ministry of Agriculture in 2020, the types of fresh vegetables that can be sold to international markets are spinach, lettuce, kale, carrots and cabbage.
Export Document Requirements
Vegetables that will be sent to foreign markets must go through a quarantine process. The party that organizes the quarantine is the Agricultural Quarantine Agency. This basis comes from decisions Number 2471/Kpts/KR.020/K/11/2018 and 2523/Kpts/KR.020/K/11/2018 issued by the Head of the Agricultural Quarantine Agency.
You can prepare the vegetable export document requirements as below:
- Phytosanitary Certificate or PC. The party that issued this document is the Agricultural Quarantine Agency.
- Export Permit if the export goods are plant seeds. The Minister of Agriculture is the party who has the right to grant this permit.
- SATS-DN (Domestic Plant and Animal Transport Letter) if the exported goods are included in the list of endangered flora or fauna. The party issuing the document is
- Minister of Forestry which is managed by the Directorate General of Forest Protection and Nature Conservation.
- Fumigation Certificate, only if the destination country requests it.
- Packing declaration if using wooden packaging.
- Administrative documents or cargo manifest which include Bill of Lading (B/L), invoice, Air WayBill (AWB).
If you have fulfilled all the documents above, then you can immediately send your vegetables to the destination country.
Vegetable Export Steps
Please see the steps for sending vegetables to overseas markets below so you can get a clearer picture:
A. Fill in the Form
Exporters are required to complete the export quarantine form data by providing complete and clear information. The purpose of filling out the form is to maintain the quality of vegetables. This can reduce the risk of the emergence of OPT or Plant Pest Organisms. As a result, vegetables will arrive in good condition in the destination country.
B. Check In
If the vegetables have gone through the quarantine process according to the applicable procedures and passed, the quarantine official will issue a quarantine certificate. You can use this certificate to move to the next stage, namely check-in.
C. Delivery
You can carry out the delivery process immediately if the vegetables meet the qualifications. The government will determine immigration fees and taxes before you send the item. If you have completed the transaction and obtained the eligibility permit, the vegetables can be sent to the destination country.
Tips for Successful Vegetable Exports for Beginners
1. Understand and Choose Types of Vegetables
The first thing an exporter must do is understand the types of vegetables that will become export commodities. Knowing the ins and outs of the type of vegetables you choose well will certainly be an interesting selling point when marketing them. You can highlight the advantages and benefits of the vegetables you sell at exhibitions. In this way, you can attract the attention of potential buyers and increase your export capacity.
2. Provide a Sample Average
When attending an import-export exhibition, you definitely want to introduce the best vegetables to potential buyers. However, avoid giving super quality vegetable samples because this could backfire. Prospective buyers who receive the best quality vegetable samples will definitely have very high expectations. Even though harvesting can produce the best vegetables, not all vegetables have super quality. Therefore, use standard vegetables of average quality so you don’t get complaints from buyers because they don’t match the samples you provided.
3. Understand Buyer Demand and Needs
As the party selling goods, you need to be more active in communicating with buyers. You can confirm customers so it is easier to understand what their needs are. Understanding buyers’ requests and needs includes how products should be packaged, product labels, and product specifications. This will certainly give satisfaction to buyers because they feel understood and cared for very well.
4. Cross-check potential buyers
Before deciding to export vegetables, make sure you check potential buyers first. To carry out the checking process, please come directly to the Indonesian Trade Promotion Center or ITPC office. Being thorough in examining potential buyers will prevent you from the risk of major losses. Many prospective buyers commit fraud, so you also need to increase your vigilance.
5. Maintain temperature stability
So that vegetables don’t get damaged easily, make sure you always control temperature changes. Control the temperature so that it does not experience drastic changes starting from the harvesting process, processing, and delivery.
6. Active and Responsive with Buyer Questions
Export and import businesses have very high competition so you have to be active and responsive in answering buyers’ questions. If you do not immediately respond to these questions, potential buyers will immediately look for other export services. This condition is because the export business has to go through very long regulations, so it takes quite a long time.