JAKARTA - The food and beverage industry is one of the mainstay manufacturing sectors that making large contributions to national economic growth. Its performance so far has been positively consistent, ranging from its role in increasing productivity, investment, exports to employment.
"The potential of the food and beverage industry in Indonesia can become a champion, because there are a lot of supply and users. For this reason, one of the keys to the competitiveness of this sector is food innovation and security," said Minister of Industry Airlangga Hartarto when accompanying President Joko Widodo at the release of the 250,000th Export Container of Mayora Group in Tangerang, Banten, on Monday (18/2).
The Ministry of Industry noted, throughout 2018, the food and beverage industry was able to grow by 7.91%, higher than the national economic growth of 5.17%. In fact, the production growth of large and medium manufacturing industries in quarter IV-2018 increased by 3.90% (YoY) compared to the number from the fourth quarter of 2017, which was caused, among others, by the increase in beverage industry production which reached 23.44%.
Furthermore, the food industry is one of the sectors that support the increase in the value of national investment, which in 2018 contributed Rp 56.60 trillion. The total investment value in the manufacturing industry sector last year reached Rp 222.3 trillion.
The Minister of Industry is optimistic that the national food and beverage industry is able to make a breakthrough in product innovation. This effort is to meet the taste of domestic and foreign consumers. Moreover, the implementation of industry 4.0, with the use of the latest technology is considered to produce quality and competitive products. (LM)