Jakarta (Antara Bali) - Agriculture Minister Suswono said Indonesia is aiming to be the world's largest cocoa producer replacing Ivory Coast by launching Cocoa National Movement to boost production.
"In the national movement there will be efforts to rejuvenate cocoa trees and improve production through proper cultivation and fertilization," Suswono said here Monday.
Indonesia is currently the world's third largest cocoa producer after Ivory Coast and Ghana.
According to Suswono, the rejuvenation program was conducted by replacing non-productive cocoa trees with new productive ones.
The government started the rejuvenation program in 2009, hoping it could increase cocoa production to 1 million tons in 2013 from 833,310 tons in 2012.
The 2012 cocoa production represented a 17 percent increase compared to 2011 when the figure was recorded at 712,231 tons.
To improve the national production, the cultivation is done by applying the grafting and side-cleft grafting as well as proper fertilization. "Hopefully the productivity would increase," Minister said. (*/DWA)
RI Targets as World's Largest Cocoa Producer
Senin, 18 Maret 2013 20:15 WIB
