Imported Proceeds Material Up 300 Percent, National Cocoa Industry Prejudice
By : Ridwan And Aldi Firhand. A | Friday, February 16 2018 - 22:41 IWST
Illustration of Cocoa Fruit (Ist)
INDUSTRY.co.id - Jakarta, The flood of processed cocoa products in Indonesia is of particular concern to the Indonesian Cocoa Industry Association (AIKI). The reason is that the flood of imported processed has made the national cocoa industry less competitive.
Based on AIKI's records, last year's imports of processed cocoa products to Indonesia reached 226 thousand tons. The figure rose nearly 300 percent from a year earlier.
"The increase is very fantastic, almost 300 percent. We bite the fingers, helpless," said Chairman of AIKI, Sindra Wijaya when contacted INDUSTRY.co.id in Jakarta, Friday (16/2/2018).
He added that the increasingly imported processed assault made some cocoa factories stop operating. "In the past, the cocoa plant has reached 30 more, currently only 20 plants across Indonesia, the longer, the less," he explained.
He added that in fact the quality of cocoa beans in the country and import each has its own advantages. For the advantages of domestic cocoa beans melting point is high, so it is not easy to melt. While imported cocoa beans have a pretty good aroma and has been fermented so that the fat content is high.
"We will not be able to abandon cocoa beans domestically, so we will not be able to leave the cocoa beans in the country, therefore both of them are needed, but the import portion should be reduced," he said.
Sindra expects the government, especially the Ministry of Agriculture, to consistently develop the budget for the cocoa industry so that the quality and production of domestic cocoa is increasing.
"Currently lower productivity and cocoa prices are falling, we are worried that farmers will abandon cocoa," he said. "If the farmers leave it, it will be extinct in Indonesia," said Sindra.
In addition, AIKI also expects the government to facilitate the import of cocoa beans instead of processed products. Because the factory in the country is not able to meet the needs of large enough.
"The government should facilitate the import of cocoa beans, because the processed cocoa beans will be exported again, which is very supportive of President Jokowi's program to increase exports, because 80% of cocoa beans are exported," he said.
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