Askindo upbeat on 2002 cocoa output

Askindo upbeat on 2002 cocoa output

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Association of Indonesian Cocoa Exporters (Askindo) is
optimistic that this year's cocoa output target of 400,000 tons
can be achieved given strong motivation for farmers to take
proper care of their crops.

"Many farmers have now started taking proper care of their
crops again as cocoa prices continue to recover. We are
optimistic that this year's target can be achieved," Zulhefy
Sikumbang, the Askindo secretary-general, told The Jakarta Post
on Thursday.

He said that as of this month, the price of cocoa had hit a
three-month high of about US$1,975 per ton.

Indonesia, the world's third largest producer of cocoa after
the Ivory Coast and Ghana, exports most of its cocoa to the
United States, Singapore, Malaysia and Brazil.

The country's total area under cocoa is estimated at 700,000
hectares.

South Sulawesi has the largest area of cocoa plantations in
Indonesia with a total of 134,000 hectares. Together with the
provinces of Southeast and Central Sulawesi, it accounts for 75
percent of cocoa output in Indonesia.

The main harvest in these areas normally starts around April
and lasts through September.

Zulhefy, however, warned that cocoa output could decline in
years to come unless all the relevant parties took steps to solve
the problem of pod borer infestation, which had been affecting
crops in recent years in almost all parts of the country.

Farmers have long complained about the lack of government
effort to solve the pod borer problem, which has led to many
farmers neglecting to take proper care of their crops.

"Almost 70 percent of cocoa plantations have been attacked by
pod borers. This can reduce output by some 20 percent each
harvest," Zulhefy said.

Askindo earlier unveiled an ambitious target for the country's
output to hit some 1.5 million tons in the next eight years,
making Indonesia the world largest cocoa producer.

Zulhefy said that productivity was currently very low at about
0.6 tons per hectare compared to 1.5 tons per hectare in the
Ivory Coast and Ghana.

"If we can boost our productivity to about 1.5 tons per
hectare, Indonesia could produce some 1.5 million tons of cocoa,"
Zulhefy said.