By Yoga Rusmana
Oct. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Cocoa bean exports from Indonesia’s Sulawesi island, the nation’s main growing region, plunged 64 percent in September compared with the previous month because of limited supply and a holiday.
Shipments from South and Central Sulawesi provinces, which account for about four-fifths of Indonesian output, declined to 17,264 metric tons last month compared with 47,527 tons in August, the Indonesian Cocoa Association said today. Sales were 12,819 tons were in September last year.
Lower supply from the third-biggest grower may further support the price of the chocolate ingredient, which has risen 22 percent this year on concern that there’s a global deficit. Indonesia, with the world’s largest Muslim population, marked the Eid al-Fitr festival on Sept. 20, slowing trade activities.
The nation exported 193,576 tons of beans in the January- to-September period compared with 193,711 tons a year-ago, the trade group said. The country harvests most of its crop from April to July, with smaller volumes gathered until September.
Cocoa for December delivery jumped 8 percent to $3,240 a ton on ICE Futures U.S. in New York yesterday. Ivory Coast is the world’s top producer, with Ghana the second-biggest.
To contact the reporter on this story: Yoga Rusmana in Jakarta at yrusmana@bloomberg.net
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