A virtual courtesy meeting was held on 21 April 2021, between Dr. Jelfina C. Alouw, Executive Director, ICC, and Mr. Djatmiko Bris Witjaksono, S.E., MSIE, Director General of International Trade Negotiation Ministry of Trade, Republic Indonesia, the newly appointed Government of Indonesia NLO for ICC. Also attended at the meeting: Mr. Farid Amir, Director for APEC and International Organization Negotiation and Alternate National Liaison Officer (ANLO) for ICC, Ministry of Trade; Ms. Yenni Herawati, Coordinator for Commodity Organization, Ministry of Trade; Ms. Trisna Ulfatmi, Sub Coordinator for Commodity Organization, Ministry of Trade; Mr. Alit Pirmansah, Marketing & Statistics Officer; Mr. Otniel Sintoro, Information & Publication Officer, and Mr. Klaudio D. Hosang, Administrative and Finance Officer of ICC.
Dr. Jelfina C. Alouw presented ICC's objectives, vision, and mission, the contribution of coconut and its products, global production, market/export of coconut and its various products. The outlook market for coconut and its derivative products is increasing, but low in the availability of raw material. She also presented the challenges confronting farmers and the coconut industry, one of which is the discrimination against coconut and its products. Relentlessly, ICC always counters the unjustifiably negative campaigns by dissemination of information through its publications, social media, and counter-article in newspapers. Other major challenges of the coconut sector, including senility, climate change and adverse weather, pest and disease, and lack of investment in planting.
Mr. Djatmiko Bris Witjaksono, S.E., MSIE seriously addressed the senility challenge and replanting program in Indonesia, where about 450.000 ha should be replanted. Coconut seed supply to farmers becomes a big challenge due to inadequate proper seeds for replanting program. Dr. Jelfina underlined the importance of private sectors being included in the program and the development of tissue culture technology to provide enough and desired genetic and phenotypic seeds.
Furthermore, Dr. Jelfina presented ICC projects and programs which included: course, symposium, training, seminar, technical assistance, R&D, and quality standard. In doing so, ICC & COGENT build strategic networks and collaborations with several international organizations, such as, ACIAR, DFAT, NAM-CSSTC, CIRAD, ITPGRFA-FAO, ITC, BAPPENAS, PCA, CRI Sri Lanka, CICY Mexico, CPCRI India, IAARD, BI-CIAT Alliances, Belgium, Queensland University, HCM International University Vietnam, SPC, and CABI.
In his closing remarks, Mr. Djatmiko emphasized the needs for the technical breakthrough as well as the political will of the government to bring leverage in production capacity and replanting program, in which the Ministry of Trade as an NLO assured its commitment to collaborate with ICC and support in coordinating at the ministerial level. Mr. Farid Amir, Director for APEC and International Organization Negotiation, also offers the opportunity to promote coconut and its products in the 2022 G-20 Presidency Session, where Indonesia is the Chairman of the Session.
There were in-depth and productive discussions on the further collaborative actions of the strategic implementation.