Japan becomes largest export destination for Indonesian sago: minister

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Industry Minister Muhammad Sarmuji announced that Japan has become the primary export destination for Indonesian sago, with Indonesia's share of Japan’s sago starch supply reaching 14 percent in 2025.

Speaking after opening the Sago Business Forum 2026 in Jakarta on Thursday, Sarmuji noted that the surge represents a significant milestone compared to previous years, highlighting that Indonesia’s contribution to Japan’s sago starch demand stood at just two percent in 2021.

"A larger portion of our sago exports is going to Japan. The latest data for 2025 shows that we are supplying 14 percent of Japan’s sago starch requirements, which marks a clear increase," Sarmuji said.

According to government figures, Indonesia's market penetration has grown steadily over the past several years, rising from seven percent in 2022, 8 percent in 2023, and 9 percent in 2024 before climbing to 14 percent in 2025.

The expansion coincides with robust import demand in Japan, which reached 10.5 million units in 2025—representing a 35 percent increase from 2021 levels.

Sarmuji emphasized that this growing footprint offers a major opportunity for domestic sago starch producers to strengthen their position through downstream industrialization and enhanced export market access.

To accelerate bilateral cooperation, the government is encouraging closer partnerships between Indonesian and Japanese industry players.

Sarmuji shared that Japanese representatives, including academic experts, have offered to act as liaisons to facilitate information exchange and collaboration.

"Earlier, someone—a professor from Japan—offered to act as a bridge between Indonesia and Japan, specifically regarding sago. He even went so far as to declare, 'Ask us anything about sago.' That is truly remarkable," Sarmuji remarked.

The minister stressed that building a robust national sago industry requires multi-stakeholder collaboration—engaging investors, businesses, local governments, and international partners—to advance domestic processing technology and add value to products.

He formally invited Japanese investors to explore ventures directly within Indonesia's sago-producing regions.

Ultimately, Sarmuji stated that expanding the sago sector aligns with national efforts to bolster food sovereignty by championing high-value local commodities capable of competing on the global stage.

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Translator: Muhammad Harianto, Yashinta Difa
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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