VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesian Cocoa Processing Industry the Third Largest in the World                                                                                                                                                                   gbgindonesia

Indonesian Minister of Industry Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita said that the cocoa processing industry contributed significantly to foreign exchange amid the pandemic. The export value of Indonesian cocoa reached 549 million US dollars in January-June 2020, an increase of 5.13 percent compared to the same period last year. At the inauguration of the Pasuruan Cocoa Technical Center Mondelez International which was carried out virtually on Wednesday (7/10), the Minister of Industry said, eighty percent of Indonesia's cocoa production is intended for the export market.

The Minister of Industry said that currently the cocoa processing industry has been able to produce various variants, such as cocoa liquor, cocoa cake, cocoa butter and cocoa powder with the main export in the form of cocoa butter which has spread to countries such as the United States, Netherlands, India, Estonia, Germany and China. He is optimistic that the cocoa processing industry can develop well because it is supported by Indonesia's potential with a total installed capacity of 800 thousand tons per year from 13 companies. Agus Gumiwang revealed that Indonesia's cocoa processing industry is ranked 3rd in the world after the Netherlands and Ivory Coast.

Another potential, according to the 2018/2019 report by the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO), is that Indonesia's cocoa bean production of 220 thousand tons places Indonesia in the 6th position as the largest producing country after Ivory Coast, Ghana, Ecuador, Nigeria and Cameroon.

With the characteristics of Indonesian cocoa beans which have a high melting point and are rich in fat content, the cocoa processing industry can produce high quality products in terms of taste, aroma, and even health benefits.

The Minister of Industry welcomed the establishment of the Cocoa Technical Center by Mondelez International in Pasuruan, East Java, with an area of ​​5 hectares and an investment of US $ 13 million. Executive Vice President and President of Asia, Middle East and Africa of Mondelēz International, Maurizio Brusadelli said that the sustainability of cocoa supply is the key to long-term growth for Mondelez International in Asia and throughout the world. Brusadelli said that people want delicious snacks and the comfort of consuming them by knowing where the raw materials are obtained and produced in a way that has a better impact on the environment and community.