Kupang, E Nusa Tenggara (AntaraNews NTT) - China imported 20 kilogram (kg) skipjack tuna (cakalang) from East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) to test the interest of its local market in the commodity, a local official said.
"China imported the commodity to see the interest of local market. Therefore, it imported only 20 kg last month," Fish Quarantine and Quality Control (KIPM) Head of Kupang, Jimmy Elwaren, said here on Sunday (17/6).
He said China usually ordered only a small quantity of commodity to test its market. Cakalang is one of the primary commodities of NTT.
If the cakalang fish or skipjack tuna meets the interest of the local market, China will likely order in large quantity of the fish, he said.
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The quarantine official gave an example when China imported loin tuna in small volume in March when it only ordered 10 kg but in May its demand for the commodity rose to 10 tons.
Jimmy said that entering 2018, NTT`s fishery product exports were dominated by frozen octopus, amounting to 15.8 tons. They were exported in February 2018.
He said that the request of China for NTT`s cakalang fish was for the first time since the past few years. Over the last two years, China had no demand for NTT`s fishery products.
So far, Japan has dominated demand for NTT`s Calang fish such as in 2017 when the country imported a total of 158 tons of cakalang fish.
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