South Sulawesi's firm sells cocoa to Brazil

UJUNG PANDANG, South Sulawesi (JP): South Sulawesi provincial government firm CV Multi Jasa has exported 4,000 tons of cocoa beans worth US$4.6 million to Brazil.

The company's president, Halim Razak, said Thursday the shipment was the first delivery of cocoa exports from the province to Brazil.

"This is an acknowledgement of the quality of South Sulawesi's cocoa since Brazil is known as a country which imposes strict regulations on cocoa imports," Halim said.

The cocoa was taken by NV Cape Moreton from the Makassar port to Brazil on Wednesday.

Halim said Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture officials visited South Sulawesi in 1995 to see if the cocoa growing areas were free from pests and disease.

Brazil introduced strict regulations for cocoa imports in 1995 after it found some problems with the 5,000 tons of cocoa beans from the Ivory Coast.

Brazil expects 15,000-ton shortage this year.

The Brazilian government announced early this month it had authorized three companies, including the Brazilian arm of the Swiss food giant Nestle, to cocoa beans from a particular Indonesian area. But it did not name the area.

Razak said the company and the Ujungpandang plant quarantine office carefully controlled the quality of the 4,000 tons of cocoa before it was shipped Wednesday.

"We hope future exports will also be successful," said Razak.

Indonesia is the world's third largest cocoa maker after the Ivory Coast and Ghana.

Indonesia expects to increase cocoa bean production to 325,000 tons this year from 295,000 tons last year.

Indonesia exports cocoa beans to 20 countries including the United States, Germany, Britain, Singapore and China. (jsk/37)