The Minister of Agriculture Syahrul Yasin Limpo (Ministry of Agriculture SYL) is spurring development to downstream cocoa commodities in order to boost the export value of cocoa as a superior commodity for plantations. For this reason, cocoa is one of the agricultural products whose production will be boosted this year, in addition to other potential crops for export such as oil palm, coffee and rubber.
“On average, our cocoa plants are over 15 to 20 years old, and some are even 30 years old. This is one of the problems, so there must be a plan for then replanting what is there and today is part of efforts to increase our cocoa production," said the Minister of Agriculture SYL at the cocoa harvesting and planting event as well as Supervision of BPK RI Members of the Ministry of Agriculture's Work Program (Ministry of Agriculture) Year 2022 in Konaweha Village, Samaturu District, Kolaka Regency, Southeast Sulawesi (Southeast Sulawesi), Thursday (23/2/2023).
He said the national average productivity of cocoa is still below potential, due to less intensive maintenance, inconsistent implementation of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), attacks by the main plant pest organisms (OPT) on cocoa, the impact of climate change and inadequate production facilities. Therefore, the development of cocoa commodities in a sustainable manner is very important, accompanied by strengthening the development of even better downstream.
"We just focus on downstreaming our plantation commodities. Our downstream will start for each district by 17 to 20 percent for each plantation commodity such as coconut, coffee and for Kolaka, cocoa commodity," he explained.
Not only that, continued the Minister of Agriculture SYL, the cocoa commodity is also a social commodity where 99 percent of cocoa plantations are managed by smallholder plantations which involve around 1.6 million households (KK). For this reason, the government's efforts to improve the quality of cocoa beans need to be carried out intensively, including coaching farmers regarding Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
so that quality cocoa beans are produced according to standards and 4 requirements of destination countries. export.
"We will continue to improve cocoa quality control from upstream to downstream by facilitating post-harvest and processing facilities as well as cocoa quality testing at the cocoa center regularly involving regional staff," he explained.
Besides that, the Minister of Agriculture SYL said that according to President Jokowi's direction, the development of plantation commodities such as cocoa, which is an annual plant that takes more than 2 years to bear fruit, must be intercropped with other plants with a shorter lifespan. This is to increase the income of farmers who are more varied, not just relying on cocoa.
“Of course we hope that the price of cocoa in the world will never go down in any crisis. For that reason, the development of chocolate which we will continue to do becomes spaces for us to continue to accelerate," he said.
Simultaneously, the Director General of Plantations Andi Nur Alam Syah said that the national cocoa area in 2021 would be 1,460,396 ha with a production of 688,210 tons of dry beans with a productivity of 0.72 tons/ha. The cocoa area in Southeast Sulawesi Province is 236,793 ha with a production of 107,152 tons with a productivity of 0.64 tons/ha and Kolaka Regency with an area of 28,663 ha, with a production of 8,022 tons and a productivity of 0.45 tons/ha.
"In 2023, we are allocating 8,050 hectares of cocoa development activities through intensification, rejuvenation and expansion activities supported by substation operations and we will also carry out a cocoa fertigation pilot project. Apart from that, a People's Business Credit (KUR) specifically for plantations has also been launched which can be used by all farmers in Indonesia," he said.
Andi revealed that Indonesia's cocoa exports increased by 0.85 percent from 2021, namely from 382,718 tons with a value of IDR 17.22 trillion in 2022 to 385,981 tons with a value of IDR 19.80 trillion. Currently, Indonesia has transformed from a cocoa bean producing country to the world's third largest cocoa processor after the Ivory Coast and the Netherlands.
"So it is necessary to realize the independence of farmers in an effort to increase production and productivity with the principle of sustainable production and increase the quality of production," said Andi.
On this occasion, BPK RI Member IV, Haerul Saleh, who also attended the visit appreciated the Minister of Agriculture for being able to manage the budget properly with maximum agricultural output. According to him, his arrival was to supervise the administration of government programs.
"Thank God, from the several supervisions that we have carried out, to the Ministry of Agriculture on matters that have been reported, the facts on the ground are the same. With a
small budget, the Ministry of Agriculture under the direction of Minister of Agriculture Syahrul was able to achieve its productivity targets far above, this is something to be proud of," he said.
Therefore, Haerul hopes that the Ministry of Agriculture and BPK RI will continue to synergize and provide mutual support according to the duties and obligations of each agency. The Ministry of Agriculture will provide support in terms of data and information, while the BPK will provide support in terms of financial reports for which they will both be accountable.
"Because the Ministry of Agriculture's financial reports are an inseparable part of the central government's financial reports," concluded Haerul.
Source: https://www.pertanian.go.id/home/?show=news&act=view&id=5273#
