F&B industry must expand, innovate: Minister

Industry Minister Airlangga Hartarto has called on the food and beverage (F&B) industry to expand its market, both domestic and overseas, stressing that opportunities are wide open.

He stressed that industry innovation was the key to success in attracting customers. “The domestic and export markets are huge,” he said, as quoted by Antara.

Airlangga added that one of the major tasks for the industry was to ready human resources that were ready to innovate, so that an F&B company could produce high-quality, attractive products.

The ministry has a strong commitment to develop human resources through the  National Work Competency Standard (SKKNI), education and training as well as vocational schools.

“We appreciate the food and beverage sector that has participated and supported the program to improve the quality of vocational schools in Central and East Java,” he said, adding that F&B vocational schools would be opened in Cilarang, West Java, on July 27.

Airlangga believed the F&B vocational schools would help improve the product quality and faster growth of the industry.

The minister said the F&B industry achieved a growth of 8.15 percent in the first half of 2017, an increase from 7.5 percent in the same period last year. (rdi/bbn)