Pemerintah Provinsi Kalimantan Tengah (Pemprov Kalteng) is optimizing cocoa cultivation development, focusing on enhancing farmers' capacities to elevate cocoa as a primary commodity. According to Rizky Badjuri, Head of the Kalimantan Tengah Plantation Office (Disbun), efforts to boost capacity aim to establish cocoa as a prominent commodity alongside other key crops like oil palm, rubber, coconut, and coffee in a relatively short timeframe. Based on national flagship plantation statistics released by the Directorate General of Plantations, Ministry of Agriculture, the area of smallholder cocoa plantations in Kalimantan Tengah spans approximately 2,878 hectares, producing around 1,557 tons annually. Rizky highlights cocoa's significant potential for cultivation in Kalimantan Tengah, citing successful development trends in regions like Barito Utara, Barito Selatan, Barito Timur, and Murung Raya.
He emphasizes that cocoa cultivation poses minimal social impact when grown in forest areas or social forestry, unlike oil palm, both in its growth environment and the surrounding ecosystem. Recent capacity-building activities for cocoa farmers in Kalimantan Tengah, conducted in collaboration with the Good Forest Indonesia Foundation, include seminars on the potential development of the cocoa industry and cultivation in the region. Rizky stresses the importance of diversifying agricultural focus beyond commodities like oil palm and rubber to explore cocoa cultivation potential. He further highlights the excellent opportunity presented by increasing global cocoa demand in recent years, coupled with declining domestic production due to various factors. This situation underscores the significant potential for cocoa development in Kalimantan Tengah, requiring collaborative efforts and synergy from various stakeholders.
