"Of the cocoa processing industry’s production, nearly 80 percent of the output is intended for exports. In 2019, processed cocoa products had contributed over US$1.01 billion in export value," the minister noted after the virtual inauguration of the Cocoa Technical Center by Mondelez International in Pasuruan on Thursday.
Currently, the cocoa processing industry has produced several variants, including cocoa liquor, cocoa cake, cocoa butter, and cocoa powder, with the main export being of cocoa butter spread across countries, such as the United States, the Netherlands, India, Estonia, Germany, and China, he remarked.
"Hence, we need to continue to spur performance and development in order to become more competitive in the global arena. We are also working to expand market access for processed cocoa products and encourage innovation through the use of technology and research activities," he stated.
Kartasasmita is optimistic that the cocoa processing industry would develop well since Indonesia is the world's third-largest cocoa bean processor in the world, with a total installed capacity of 800 thousand tons annually from 13 companies.
"The Indonesian cocoa processing industry is ranked third in the world after the Netherlands and Ivory Coast," he stated.
According to a report by the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) in 2018-2019, Indonesia's cocoa bean production reached 220 thousand tons, thereby placing the country in the sixth position as the largest producing country after the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Ecuador, Nigeria, and Cameroon.
Indonesia's cocoa processing industry has produced high-quality products in terms of the taste, aroma, and also health benefits, he remarked.
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The minister welcomed the establishment of the Cocoa Technical Center by Mondelez International in Pasuruan, East Java Province, on an area spanning five hectares and at an investment of US$13 million.
"We also laud that since 2013, PT Mondelez has played an active role through the cocoa life program that has empowered over 43 thousand cocoa farmers in four provinces (eight districts) in Indonesia to increase cocoa productivity," he added.
Kartasasmita is optimistic that the 12th Cocoa Technical Center by Mondelez International would offer the necessary momentum to develop and apply innovative, effective, and environment-friendly cocoa farming technology.
Executive Vice President and President of Asia, Middle East, and Africa of Mondelez International Maurizio Brusadelli believes that sustainable supply of cocoa is the key to long-term growth for Mondelez International in Asia and worldwide.
"Cocoa is the main ingredient for chocolate whose demand continues to increase. Mondelez International is determined to fulfill consumer demand in the right way by contributing to creating a sustainable cocoa sector," he noted.
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Translator: Sella PG, Fardah
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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