What is it about?
Citrus fruits such as mandarins, tangerines, oranges, and limes are an important part of daily diets and farmer livelihoods in Indonesia. This chapter explains how citrus farming in Indonesia has developed, what challenges farmers currently face, and what opportunities exist for the future. It describes where citrus is grown, which varieties are most common, and how climate, land conditions, and farming practices affect production and fruit quality. The chapter also explains why citrus diseases, especially Huanglongbing (HLB), have been a major problem and how the use of healthy planting materials and better farm management has helped farmers recover. It highlights how research institutions, government programs, and farmer groups work together to improve seedlings, cultivation methods, and harvest timing. In addition, this chapter discusses how citrus is marketed, why Indonesia still imports large amounts of citrus, and what limits exports to international markets. It shows that improving post-harvest handling, storage, and processing could increase farmer income and reduce waste. Overall, this chapter helps readers understand how science, farming practices, and markets are connected, and why coordinated efforts are needed to build a more sustainable and competitive citrus industry in Indonesia.
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Why is it important?
What makes this chapter unique is that it brings together farming realities, scientific research, and market conditions into one clear picture of Indonesia’s citrus industry. Rather than focusing only on crop production or laboratory research, this work shows how citrus farming actually functions on the ground—from seedling quality and disease management to harvest timing, marketing, and imports. It highlights Indonesia as a tropical country that produces citrus year-round, yet still depends heavily on imports, revealing a critical gap between production potential and market performance. This work is timely because climate change, plant diseases, and rising consumer standards are placing new pressure on fruit producers. At the same time, Indonesia is reorganizing its national research system and strengthening links between research, farmers, and policymakers. By documenting these transitions, this chapter helps readers understand where improvements can realistically be made. The insights can support better policy decisions, guide future research priorities, and help farmers and agribusiness actors build a more resilient and competitive citrus sector.
Perspectives
This chapter reflects many years of working closely with citrus farmers, researchers, and local institutions in Indonesia. What motivated me most in contributing to this work was the gap I often see between scientific knowledge and everyday farming decisions. Many challenges faced by citrus growers—such as disease outbreaks, fluctuating prices, or limited access to quality seedlings—cannot be solved by technology alone, but require coordination across research, extension services, and markets. Writing this chapter was also an opportunity to document lessons that are often known informally by practitioners but rarely captured in a single, accessible source. I hope this work helps readers better appreciate the complexity of citrus farming in tropical environments and encourages stronger collaboration between scientists, policymakers, and farmers to build a more resilient citrus industry in Indonesia.
Zainuri Hanif
National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN)
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Current Status and Prospect of Citrus Production, Research, and Development of Indonesia, September 2025, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1201/9781003584599-14.
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