General Information
Indonesia is the third largest cocoa producers in the world. Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) has been planted in the archipelago since the Dutch Colonialism. The commodity’s contribution to the Indonesian economy – as a source of livelihood (income) for millions of people (including and mainly smallholder farmers); foreign exchange earnings; and development accelerator for regional and downstream cocoa based industries – renders it having a great strategic value to the country.
Indonesian cocoa exports are currently valued at approximately $600-700 million per year. In 2007, Indonesian cocoa beans production reached 740,006 tons (or about 15% of world production), 90% of which produced by smallholders. Table 1 depicts Indonesia’s cocoa production in terms of land coverage and tonnage.
Table 1. Area and Production of Cocoa Plantation in Indonesia
| Y Year | Acreage (ha) | Production (ton) |
| 2003 | 959,007 | 697,166 |
| 2004 | 1,090,960 | 691,704 |
| 2005 | 1,167,046 | 748,828 |
| 2006 | 1,320,820 | 769,386 |
| 2007 | 1.379.279 | 740,006 |
Source : Ministry of Agriculture of Indonesia
Table 2 illustrates the main areas/regions of cocoa production, namely in the islands of Sulawesi (Celebes), Sumatera, Jawa (Java), and Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo). Overall, the geographical and climatic conditions in Indonesia is suitable for growing cocoa.
Table 2. Centre of Cocoa Production in Indonesia 2007
| A Area/Province | Acreage (ha) | Production (ton) |
| South Sulawesi | 256,350 | 119,293 |
| Centre Sulawesi | 210,791 | 146,778 |
| South East Sulawesi | 203,223 | 135,113 |
| North Sumatera | 87,884 | 64,782 |
| East Kalimantan | 34,558 | 24,331 |
| Lampung | 38,393 | 24,671 |
| East Java | 52,007 | 16,613 |
Source : Ministry of Agriculture of Indonesia
Besides cocoa beans, Indonesian cocoa exports include some processed products possessing unique characteristics such as cocoa butter, cocoa powder and cocoa cake. For example, Indonesian cocoa butter is well known for its higher melting point (33 – 34ºC). Traditional (main) markets are the USA, France, the Netherlands, Spain and Australia.
National Movement for Enhancing Cocoa Production and Quality (2009-2011)
In an effort to speed up the rise of national cocoa production and quality, the Indonesian Government has implemented a program called National Movement for Enhancing Cocoa Production and Quality in nine provinces and 40 regencies. The three-year program started in 2009 incorporates the following actions: 70,000 ha of land rejuvenation; 235,000 ha of land rehabilitation; and 145,000 ha of production intensification.
With respect to land rejuvenation, the Government will provide high-yield cocoa clones, propagated through cutting, budding, and advance techniques such as somatic embryogenesis (SE)
Below are some examples of cacao clones cultivated in Indonesia:
