EMPOWERMENT OF COLD CHAIN MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES
In an effort to achieve national food security, the cold chain logistics industry in a broad scope must be one of the priorities to be developed. Local manufacturers must be empowered in their demands to provide good and efficient infrastructure (hardware and software). For this reason, the national cold chain program must be updated by using well-connected technology to make it more competitive.
This was conveyed in a limited Forum Group Discussion (FGD) between ARPI and the Directorate of Machinery Industry and Agricultural Machinery Equipments, Ministry of Industry, Republic of Indonesia. Mr. Salehan, who represented the Director, wanted a detailed cold chain industrial tree scheme in order to know the extent to which the local manufacturing capabilities made the products in the industrial tree (what TIER position?).
The national cold chain industry pattern is currently being challenged by the application of industry 4.0. For this reason, the cold chain industry stakeholders, from upstream to downstream, must be able to continue to provide this technology in the face of today’s global competition, explained Mr. Hasanuddin Yasni, Chairman of ARPI. Several local manufacturers of the refrigeration industry, such as evaporators and condensing units, already have the ability to manufacture and assemble in collaboration with the principal maker of the refrigeration compressor unit.
From PT. Mandiri Selaras Teknik (a local evaporator manufacturer), Mr. Agus Santoso, explained the factory’s ability to make cold chain evaporators that are competitive and can supply around 8% of national demand. PT. United Refrigeration made a detailed Cold Chain Industry Bill. Mr. Bugie Pudjotomo hopes that this bill can be a future reference in making regulations. Meanwhile, Mr. Stephen Sen from PT. Alpine Cool Utama, an industry provider of insulated panels and condensing unit assembly, explained in more detail that the local condensing unit assembly requires national standardization so that the resulting quality is more uniform and more than that it can also produce the required HR standards. Last, PT. Jalur Sejuk, represented by Mrs. Lindalis, said that local manufacturers of insulated panel can compete in terms of quality, but regulations are still needed to protect local manufacturers because there is no update to the National Standard.
