Cocoa Bean Price Picking Up In Bali

Denpasar, Bali, Dec 24 (Antara) - The price of cocoa beans set by farmers in Bali is picking up toward the end of 2014 reaching Rp37,000 per kilograms from Rp34,000 earlier for the fermented type, and Rp34,500 up from Rp31,500 per kg for non-fermented beans. "The good prices both on the domestic and international markets are expected to encourage farmers to expand plantation in Bali ," Head of Regional Plantation Office I Dewa Made Buana Duwuran said here on Wednesday. The price is predicted to grow further in 2015, Dewa Made said. Cocoa in Bali is grown by farmers mainly in Jembrana, Tabanan and Buleleng. Dewa Made said demand for coca beans comes from exporters in Bali and East Java. The Industry and Trade office in Bali said coco bean exports from Bali reached 1.080 tons worth more than US$1 million in the first 10 months of the year. The export earning rose 55 percent from US$709,968 in the same period in 2013. Exports have been made to the United States, Australia, Britain, Germany , Finland, Japan and Malaysia. Indonesia is currently the world`s third largest producer of coco bean after the Ivory Coast and Ghans of Africa . West Sulawesi is the largest producing province in the country.