The Agricultural Quarantine Agency (Barantan) Ambon is facilitating the export of Maluku spices, such as nutmeg seeds, mace, and clove stems to the Netherlands. The export of spices is being carried out through the Yos Sudarso Port in Ambon, then transiting at the Tanjung Perak Port in Surabaya for fumigation and restuffing into export containers before sailing to the Netherlands. These spices have undergone quarantine measures and will make a stop in Surabaya for further quarantine procedures according to the requirements of the destination country. The shipment of spices is using the KM Meratus Palembang vessel, which consists of 4 tons of nutmeg seeds (Myristica fragrans), a ton of mace (Myristica fragrans), and 9.9 tons of clove stems (Eugenia aromatica). The spices also undergone physical inspections by the Agricultural Quarantine Officer.
The inspection is conducted to ensure that the commodities meet the requirements of the destination country, and there are also requirements related to European Union Regulation (EU) Number 2016/24. This regulation mandates that the export of nutmeg from Indonesia must be accompanied by a Phytosanitary Certificate and a Certificate of Analysis (CoA) regarding the content of aflatoxin, which must meet the EU requirements. These requirements have been fulfilled through laboratory results from Angler Biochemlab in Surabaya. The Head of Barantan at the Ministry of Agriculture also revealed that Indonesian spices continue to attract international attention. The export of nutmeg, mace, and clove stems is hope to be accepted in the European Union market, thereby contributing to the country's foreign exchange reserves.
