The challenge of exporting vanilla from Indonesia to Turkey despite keen interest from Turkish buyers

One major challenge faced by the exporters of vanilla from Indonesia for export to Turkey is the high entrance fee that is applied by the Turkish government for Indonesian vanilla, which is now at 42% from the total export value. This current condition has disabled Indonesian exporters from accommodating the keen interest for Indonesian gourmet vanilla by the Turkish food and beverage manufacturers and the high export potential for vanilla to Turkey that has now reached 10 MT annually, due to the purchasing price being too high. As an effort to solve this export challenge, the vanilla farmers association are currently lobbying the government of Indonesia to negotiate the making of an exclusive economic agreement with the Turkish government, so that the entrance fee, especially for vanilla, can be lowered down by 2021.