Indonesia’s Minister for National Development and Planning has warned that climate change and extreme weather could ‘cripple’ the country’s agricultural export industry, according to news site AsiaNews.it.

Indonesian minister Armida Alisjahbana

Minister Armida Alisjahbana said climate change and its associated extreme weather conditions have become serious threats to food security in 2011, including the fruit and vegetable sector, which has suffered declining harvests, heavy rains and droughts, AsiaNews reported.

According to the ‘Indonesia Climate Change Sectoral Roadmap’ (ICCSR) published by the Indonesian government last year, water deficits from drought have the potential to cut harvests by more than half.

“Loss of fresh fruit bunches may well reach as much as 21% if there is (sic) 200-300 mm water deficit, and 65% if (sic) water deficit is more than 500 mm,” the report said.

According to Indonesian statistics agency Badan Pusat Statistik, the country recorded agricultural exports of US$4.53 billion from January to November in 2010.

The agency reported that in 2009 Indonesian fruit exports included 6.37 million metric tonnes (MT) worth of bananas, 2.13 million MT in oranges, 2.24 million MT in mangoes and 1.56 million MT in pineapples.

Photo: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

Source: www.freshfruitportal.com