RI's cacao output to keep falling
RI's cacao output to keep falling
Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The country's cacao yields are projected to continue to
decline in the coming years as the industry remains unable to
solve pest problems, which have been troubling the country for
years, according to the Association of Indonesian Cacao Exporters
(Askindo).
Zulhefi Sikumbang, secretary-general of Askindo, told The
Jakarta Post that the pest problem, along with the drought, which
is also predicted to continue at the country's main cacao-
producing areas, will reduce the country's output by 15 percent
from this year's target of 360,000 tons.
The association initially projected this year's output at
380,000 tons, but it later revised down the target to 360,000
tons due the continued pest problem and drought.
Zulhefi said the pests, which are popularly known as "pod
borers", had damaged at least 70,000 hectares of cacao
plantations in South and Central Sulawesi, which account for 80
percent of the country's cocoa bean output.
Zulhefi said that the spread of the pest was on the rise this
year in both provinces and has seemingly spread to other areas
outside the provinces, including Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan and
Maluku.
Indonesia, the world's third largest producers of cacao after
the Ivory Coast and Ghana, produced 362,000 tons last year with a
total harvest area of about 500,000 hectares.
"The elimination of the cacao pod borers is still far from
being effective," he said.
He added that a United States agency called the American Cocoa
Research Institute had conducted research and made efforts to
eliminate the pest throughout the year.
But, their work was considered ineffective because the agency
had focused on Sulawesi, while the pests had already spread to
many other areas.
"We have repeatedly asked the government to take swift action
to help local farmers handle the pest problem but the government
can't do much due to financial constraints," he said.
He predicted the drought, which hit the country's main cacao-
producing areas, would continue next year.
Indonesia exports most of its cacao to the U.S., Singapore,
Malaysia and Brazil.