JAKARTA: The import value of food products and beverages during IIQ/2011 jumped 32% compared with the realization during 1Q/201, boosted by domestic demand ahead of the fasting month and Eid ul-Fitr.Based on data reported surveyor at the port of unloading from the Ministry of Commerce, imports of food and beverages during the quarter I/2011 reached US$64.1 million. In the previous three months imports only amounted to US$48.4 million."The trend is still the same with last year. There is an increase of about 30%. Holiday indeed occurred in the third quarter but usually importers begin supplying goods from the previous 2 or 3 months. That is why there is a significant increase in the second quarter," said Secretary General of Association of Food and Beverage Indonesia (Gapmmi) Franky Sibarani, yesterday.In the previous year, import in the second quarter also jumped nearly 30% from US$42.3 million in the first quarter to US$54.9 million.However, the monthly trend of increasing import value of food products and beverages is a little different in this year.Significant increase in the import value occurred in May, so there was also an increase in June but it was a slight increase. As for last year, imports started to increase since June.The increase that occurred in June was expected since the importers have supplied the goods starting last May. Since on that month there was an increase of 16%."So, it is natural that in Junes increase is thin as the rising trend in import has happened since May," he said.The supplier country, Malaysia became the largest supplier of import. Total import from the country during the second quarter amounted to US$20.2 million. Cumulatively, the import value of food products and beverages from the neighboring country during the first half of this year reached US$27.8 million or a market share of 24.7% of the total value of such import products during the first half which amounted to US$112.6 million.ScrutinyFranky said that despite the inflow of goods has been tightened through the main port, the fact is the current unofficial imports through the port is still quite large.Number of major ports, according to him, is very slight while the number of unofficial port or illegal ports has already reached hundred of ports.Illegal ports are an entrance for illegal goods because it is located along the shorelines or estuaries."Therefore, supervision of illegal ports should be more stringent because of smuggling. Smuggling activities also occurred in border areas," he said.The data showed during the first half of 2011, the largest food and beverage import which came through Tanjung Priok pork was 81% or about US$91.6 million. The rest came to Indonesia through five other ports.However, according to Frankie, the condition is different from the reality. Since, many imported food and beverages products are found outside of Java, but official import figures in several ports outside Java is very low.Food and beverage products which officially recorded in Soekarno Hatta, Makasar was only 0.5%, while Dumai and Belawan was 1.8% and 4% respectively.(t03/msw)

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