Jakarta — The government continues to strengthen the downstreaming of the agricultural sector to increase the added value of national commodities while reducing dependence on imports. Strategic commodities such as soybeans, garlic, cocoa, animal feed, and fertilizer are the focus of development to strengthen food security, increase competitiveness, and encourage the growth of agriculture-based industries.
Downstream processing is achieved through the development of an integrated production chain, from cultivation to processing. For soybeans and garlic, the government is encouraging increased domestic production through the use of superior seeds, expansion of planting areas, utilization of modern technology, and strengthening partnerships with industry to further reduce dependence on imports.
The Ministry of Agriculture’s commitment to strengthening downstream processing and increasing the competitiveness of plantation commodities is also demonstrated through collaborative research and innovation. One result is the development of five new superior cocoa varieties ready for widespread development to increase national cocoa productivity and quality.
Minister of Agriculture (Mentan), Andi Amran Sulaiman emphasized that research and innovation are the keys to accelerating the transformation of the agricultural sector towards sustainable food self-sufficiency while simultaneously encouraging the downstreaming of national strategic commodities.
“The research findings produced by researchers must be immediately disseminated and widely utilized to have a real impact on farmers and the national economy,” said Minister of Agriculture Amran.
In addition to cocoa, the government is also strengthening the feed and fertilizer industries by utilizing local raw materials and developing fertilizers based on domestic resources. These measures are expected to strengthen food security, increase the added value of agricultural products, and make the agricultural sector a driver of sustainable economic growth.
Cocoa commodity researcher Rubiyo said that in a collaborative meeting between the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman paid special attention to innovations produced by researchers, especially those that support the agricultural downstreaming program.
“The Minister asked if there were any technological innovations resulting from research previously conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture. I explained that we have produced five new superior cocoa varieties that are ready to be developed and can support the cocoa downstreaming program currently being promoted by the Ministry of Agriculture,” Rubiyo said.
Cocoa development is a crucial part of the national downstreaming agenda because Indonesia has significant potential to increase exports of processed products such as cocoa butter, cocoa powder, and value-added chocolate, rather than simply exporting cocoa beans. (*)