Indonesia is targeting $2 billion from exports of spices and herbs and a total of 4,000 Indonesian restaurants abroad by 2024 to boost the country’s culinary industry.

Indonesian Industry Minister, Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita, said in a statement on Monday that Indonesia was currently intensifying the promotion and marketing efforts for its seasoning products or processed foods and spices through the program named “Indonesia Spice Up The World.”

“Indonesia has been widely known as a tropical country with fertile soil, making it an ideal place for growing spices.

“We have a variety of spices and speciality food products with authentic flavours. This programme is one of our efforts to globally widen our marketplace for spices,” the minister said.

According to the data from the Trade Ministry, Indonesia’s export values for processed and fresh spices and herbs reached $1.02 billion in 2020, increasing by 24.3 per cent from the previous year.

The United States has become the biggest market for Indonesia’s spice and culinary sales, constituting 20 to 25 per cent of the value.

The minister said there had been a total of 1,177 Indonesian restaurants globally, and that is not enough to bolster the popularity of the country’s culinary industry. 

(Xinhua/NAN)