Agricom.id, JAKARTA – When pandemic of corona virus (Covid-19) takes place, ministry of agriculture is consistent to boost the production and export of the plantation commodities, namely the derivative product of coconut, such as, coconut charcoal in the acceleration of Gerakan Tiga Kali Ekspor (Gratieks) until 2024.

“Coconut charcoal is used a lot. Besides for the medicine and pharmacy, it is as the fuel for shisha/hookah or cigarette in Middle East region. While in Europe, it is used as the fuel to barbeque,” General Director of Plantation, Ministry of Agriculture, Kasdi Subagyono said, as in the official statement to Agricom.id.

He mentioned that the coconut of Indonesia as the number one producer in the world should be advantaged by strengthen the downstream sectors to produce the derivative products to give the direct additional values for the farmers and expand the markets.

The data from central bureau of statistic (CBS) which was managed by the directorate in 2019 showed that the export of charcoal from Indonesia, including the coconut charcoal reached 188,05 thousand tons within the export values reaching USD 145,09 million. “It is mostly exported to China, Brazil, German, Lebanon, Malaysia, Netherland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Srilangka, and Vietnam,” he said.

“The needs of coconut charcoal or briquette are prospective and potential to expand the markets because until now the briquette in the world namely for the barbeque (BBQ) is mostly produced from the wood charcoal and the advance countries which are the biggest consumers really realized the huge damages or the cutting of trees to produce briquette. In the future, coconut charcoal is potential for it does not damage the nature but safe for the environment,” he said.

He also told that it needs to expand the market access to export it and other derivative products. But many do not develop the derivative products, such as, virgin coconut oil (VCO), desiccated coconut, the fiber, liquid vapor, isotonic water, crude coconut oil (CCO), and coconut cooking oil. This happens for all these years, Indonesia exported the raw materials or half products, such as, copra, and the additional value was processed in other countries.

One industry of coconut charcoal, PT. Tom Cococha Indonesia in Tujurhalang, Bogor, in March to April 2020 keeps producing to fulfill the demands in Europe and Middle East.

Director of PT. Tom Cococha Indonesia, Asep Jembar Mulyana said that the supply of the material runs well and it is mostly got from the coconut farmers in Tembilahan, District of Indragiri Hilir, Riau. “They keep distributing the materials about 2-3 trucks per day to fulfill the export orders for the next months. The exports reach 500 tons/month and would increase to be 1.000 tons/month,” he said. 

He thought that on 6 April 2020 the stuffing containers were exported to Belgium about 18 tons; on 7 April 2020 the stuffing was done to Iraq and some other countries within the volume reaching 45 tons, while on 8 April 2020 the stuffing containers were to Valencia, Spain about 18 tons. (A2)