The Ministry of Trade is pushing Indonesian cocoa commodity businesses to step up their downstream processing so that their products can carry added value. The ministry believes that downstream processing can open up global market interest for Indonesian cocoa products. Moreover, downstream processing is one of the mandates of the President—so these efforts will help maintain a favorable selling price for Indonesia’s cocoa, which in turn can positively impact farmers’ welfare.

Deputy Trade Minister Dyah Roro Esti Widya Putri said Indonesia already exports cocoa in various forms—some in raw bean form and some after downstream processing. “What we see here is cocoa transformed into chocolate, packaged nicely to be competitive. It should be underlined that downstream processing doesn’t necessarily mean large-scale industry; it can also involve micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). That is what the government will encourage and facilitate,” Roro said, after inspecting the factory of a chocolate producer in Tabanan, Bali.

Source: https://www.neraca.co.id/article/228847/ekspor-produk-hilirisasi-kakao-indonesia-terus-didorong