REPUBLICA.CO.ID, TABANAN -- Indonesia is a hidden paradise for quality export cocoa. Behind the thriving local cocoa beans grown in volcanic soil lies a great potential to produce the world's best chocolate.
This is the new narrative being championed by Deputy Minister of Trade Dyah Roro Esti Widya Putri, as she urges local exporters to not only be content with the domestic market, but to boldly penetrate the promising international market.
The story begins with her visit to a local chocolate factory, Cau Chocolates, in Tabanan Regency, Bali. There, the Deputy Minister saw firsthand how the potential of cocoa is processed into premium products.
Deputy Minister Dyah directed cocoa exporters to take advantage of government cooperation in expanding into the international market. Trade agreements with various countries, such as the Indonesia-Peru CEPA, Indonesia-Canada CEPA, and the upcoming Indonesia-European Union CEPA, are the red carpet already laid out by the government.