Large Plantation Chocolate Production Continues to Decline Over the Past 5 Years

Indonesia is often touted as one of the world's largest producers of processed cocoa.

However, data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) shows that cocoa production from large-scale plantations in Indonesia has been declining continuously from 2017 to 2021.

BPS recorded a total cocoa production of 2.9 tons from large-scale plantations in 2021. This figure is down 39.6% compared to the 2020 production of 4.8 tons, marking the lowest production in the last five years, as shown in the graph.

This figure only accounts for cocoa from large-scale plantations, namely plantations commercially operated by legally incorporated companies. These large-scale plantations consist of State-Owned Large Plantations (PBN) and Private Large Plantations (PBS), both national and foreign.

In terms of region, the largest cocoa producers in Indonesia are the provinces in Sulawesi and Sumatra.

However, the area of cocoa plantations in several regions has decreased. In Sumatra, for example, research by academics from Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) shows a decline in cocoa plantation area in Asahan Regency, North Sumatra, during the 2012-2016 period. One of the causes is the conversion of cocoa plantations to palm oil plantations.

(See also: The Most Expensive Chocolate Brands in the World, Some Priced Over Rp 14 Billion)