Sweet Aroma of Fresh Longan Fruit Now Reaches Beyond Local Consumers

Batang Kartininews.com - The sweet aroma of fresh longan fruit is no longer enjoyed only by local residents under the shade of its trees. Thanks to the strategic steps taken by Batang Regent M. Faiz Kurniawan, thousands of longan trees cultivated by Batang’s millennial farmers have now secured a major contract to enter the modern retail network, Indomaret.

This gateway to the modern market opened wide after Indomaret recognized the great potential in Batang Regency since late 2025. Through a collaboration between the Local Government and Indomaret, the retail chain acts as an off-taker, ready to become an unlimited outlet for local Batang fruits.

“The starting point was yesterday during the ceremonial grand opening last Tuesday at Indomaret Fresh on Alun-Alun Batang Street,” said Aditya Reza Kusuma, coordinator of Batang’s millennial longan farmers and facilitator from the Batang Regency Agriculture Office, when contacted via phone on Thursday (21/5/2026).

Currently, the total number of longan trees in Batang is estimated to have reached 10,000 trees, including those owned independently and by village-owned enterprises (BUMDes). Interestingly, Batang longan has a competitive advantage rarely found in other fruits: its harvest time can be scheduled. This is the key to farmers’ optimism in meeting the strict quotas from modern retailers.

“This longan has a unique characteristic that other fruits don’t have — its flowering and harvest time can be regulated. So we can arrange continuous harvests every week. For example, the first week from Subah, the next week from Banyu Putih, then Tersono, and so on — it rotates in stages,” he explained.

In the initial phase, Indomaret’s Jakarta region has requested a supply of 500 kilograms per week, while Central Java region ranges from 100 to 500 kilograms per week. These figures are targeted to gradually increase up to 5 tons per week.

“So far, local fruits have often lost out to imported fruits in terms of visual appearance. Realizing this challenge, the partnership also involves the PSDKU Universitas Diponegoro (Undip) Bandar Campus to provide technical guidance from cultivation to post-harvest,” he said.

A special team from Indomaret’s Jakarta head office even came directly to teach farmers how to pick, clean, and package the fruit in 500-gram special adhesive containers labeled “Kelengkeng Kabupaten Batang” (Batang Regency Longan).

“In terms of taste, flesh quality, thickness, and small seeds, we win in all those aspects. However, with intensive assistance, the appearance of Batang longan has now been upgraded and is ready to compete with imported products,” he revealed.

Aditya Reza also mentioned that for farmers, the presence of this modern market brings fresh hope and promises economic stability. Although the retail selling price is adjusted to modern standards, the certainty of continuous market absorption is an invaluable advantage compared to relying only on limited local markets.

“Indomaret offers what you might call an unlimited market absorption because they need regular weekly supplies. When farmers sell independently in limited local markets, the market is very restricted. But here, the market is wide open — the quantity can be large and continuous, so whatever the farmers produce can be absorbed,” he said.

To maintain this golden momentum, the farmers hope the Batang Regency Government will continue to support them, especially in facilitating crucial agricultural logistics needs. One of them is fulfilling the supply of special longan fertilizer or boosters, which currently still have to be imported from abroad.

“We hope for special support from the Batang Regency Government, especially from the Regent, such as streamlined import channels for these materials or other physical support to improve cultivation and production even further,” he concluded.