He conveyed this commitment during the opening of an international cocoa exhibition called Cocoa Village in Singapore on Thursday.
The exhibition was organized as part of the Cocoa Association of Asia-International Cocoa Conference Exhibition (CAA-ICCE), which is being held from September 12–13, 2024, at Raffles City Convention Center in Singapore.
"It is hoped this exhibition will also help improve the welfare of cocoa farmers, and also become a global collaboration platform for overcoming various challenges in the cocoa sector," Hasan said, according to a statement received in Jakarta on Thursday.
He noted that the decline in global cocoa production due to pests, diseases, weather changes, and unproductive older cocoa trees has pushed up cocoa prices drastically around the world.
In addition, the implementation of the European Union Deforestation-free Products Regulation (EUDR) at the end of 2024 will be a challenge for the cocoa sector.
"Hopefully, the collaboration of all stakeholders in the cocoa sector can be increased to overcome these challenges," the minister said.
Hasan also held a discussion with Indonesian cocoa farmers participating in CAA-ICCE.
During the discussion, the farmers expressed the hope that the government would support efforts to increase the productivity and production of cocoa beans to advance the welfare of cocoa farmers.
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Translator: Maria Cicilia Galuh Prayudhia, Asri Mayang Sari
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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