UNIDO's SMART-Fish Programme Enables First Export of Indonesian Pangasius

UNIDO's SMART Fish Project – Sustainable Market Access Through Responsible Trading of Fish that aims to enhance the trade capacities of the supported value chains through policy dialogue, capacity-building and the creation of trade linkages.

Indonesian Pangasius Industry has entered the new chapter by launching its first ever export to Saudi Arabia on 27th May 2019. Indonesia was unable to compete with Vietnam which has been dominating the world pangasius market for the past ten years, hence this first export means a lot for the industry and the government hoping this will be the vehicle to drive more exports from Indonesia in the future.

Through UNIDO Indonesia’s SMART-Fish programme (Sustainable Market Access through Responsible Trading of Fish), one of its partners - PT. Adib Global Food exports 8 containers, around 170 tons valued at USD 345,000 of frozen pangasius steaks to Saudi to serve the Indonesian hajj pilgrims. The launching of the first shipment was held in Sidoarjo, East Java and officiated by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Marine and Fisheries Affairs (MMAF) of Indonesia, Mr. Nilanto Perbowo.

SMART Fish is a joint program between the Indonesian government and UNIDO which was run from 2014 -2019 focusing on the increasing the export capacity of the fisheries sector in Indonesia in particular for the three selected seaweed, pangasius and pole & line tuna value chains. This program was designed to improve competitiveness of the value chains, develop a higher value- added fisheries exports, which are compliant with the international market requirements, and to improve the export quality infrastructure to remove supply side constrains.

Successful collaboration and partnership between UNIDO Indonesia, Indonesian government (MMAF), Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and other important stakeholders has created a lot of enthusiasm and strong believe among the industry players that the Indonesian pangasius can go further and complete in the global market.