Indonesia, Chile seek stronger agricultural, trade ties

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman hosted his counterpart from Chile, Esteban Valenzuela Van Treek, in Jakarta on Monday (May 19), to explore avenues for expanded agricultural and trade cooperation to mutually enhance food security.

As cited from his office's statement here on Tuesday, Sulaiman expressed Indonesia's eagerness to partner with Chile to improve water management for agricultural activities.

"Chile has valuable experience in managing water resources—an area from which Indonesia can learn to address challenges posed by climate change," he noted.

The minister emphasized the importance of Indonesia emulating Chile's prudence in utilizing water in the face of a 14-year drought triggered by El Nino phenomenon.

Chile has also introduced a variant of paddy that requires only 40 percent of the water needed by other varieties to flourish—a breakthrough that could help Indonesia move closer to achieving its food self-sufficiency goal.

During the meeting, the two ministers also discussed trade opportunities, including Chile's eagerness to export potatoes, milk, and cattle to Indonesia.

Sulaiman responded positively but said that Indonesia would first assess its domestic potato production and demand before considering imports.

The minister assured his Chilean counterpart that Indonesia is open to meeting its annual national milk demand of 3.8 million tons by supplementing the limited domestic supply with imports from Chile.

Furthermore, he advocated for boosting the volume of exports of Indonesian palm oil to the Chilean market.

"Most importantly, both countries should engage in mutually beneficial collaboration," he stated.

Chilean Minister Van Treek described the talks as productive and strategic, calling the meeting a strong signal of both nations' commitment to building a long-term partnership.

The minister affirmed Chile's genuine interest in working with Indonesia to create a favorable business environment.

Van Treek also voiced support for Indonesia's ongoing accession to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

Chile remains the only country with which Indonesia has signed a comprehensive economic partnership agreement. Indonesia ratified the bilateral deal with a presidential regulation in 2019, two years after its signing.