Makassar to host cocoa conference

Makassar to host cocoa conference

The Jakarta Post, Makassar, South Sulawesi

As many as 383 businesspeople, industry experts and farmers
from across the world will participate in the Third International
Cocoa Conference being held on Oct. 24 and Oct. 25 in Makassar,
South Sulawesi, organizers said.

The province is the country's main cocoa producer, and
Indonesia is the world's second largest producer of the commodity
after the Ivory Coast.

Abdul Halim Razak, the head of the conference's organizing
committee, said here on Tuesday the 383 participants included 120
overseas citizens from the United States, Europe, Africa and
Asia.

They are expected to arrive in Makassar one or two days before
the conference, Abdul said during a press conference attended by
South Sulawesi Governor HZB Palaguna and provincial police chief
Sr. Comr. Andi Hasanudin.

Abdul said the press conference was called to calm the
concerns of some delegates over security following the bomb
attacks over the weekend in Bali, which killed more than 180
people, mostly foreign tourists.

Abdul said several participants from the U.S. and Britain had
questioned security during the event.

He said some participants had considered canceling their trips
to Makassar, but decided to attend the conference after receiving
security assurances from the organizing committee.

"Thus far, only four people have decided to pull out of the
conference following the Bali incident," he said.

Palaguna assured the conference participants that Makassar was
safe.

"I, as the governor, guarantee complete security during the
conference," he said.