| dc.description.abstract | Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) is one of Indonesia’s key plantation commodities that has been continuously developed over several development plans (Pelita). According to the Central Bureau of Statistics (1998), the total area of cocoa plantations in Indonesia, including smallholder, state, and private estates, was 610,876 hectares with a production of 332,929 tons. Global demand for cocoa continues to increase, prompting Indonesia to boost cocoa exports. Efforts to increase production include planting new areas and rejuvenating existing plantations. Expansion and rejuvenation require high-quality seeds in large quantities. The demand for F₁ hybrid cocoa seeds has been rising annually and is expected to continue during the Sixth Development Plan (Pelita VI), as the government projects that cocoa plantation areas will reach 668,919 hectares by the end of 1998, with an annual growth rate of approximately 8% (Central Bureau of Statistics, 1997). The estimated seed requirement for the 1998/1999 fiscal year is approximately 9,685,430 seeds, sourced from several existing cocoa seed gardens in Indonesia. | |
