JAKARTA, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has instructed authorities to accelerate the country's cocoa production in response to rising global demand and prices, local media reported on Monday.
The directive comes after Prabowo's recent visit to several European Union countries where he observed growing interest in Indonesian cocoa.
"The global price of cocoa is surging, and many countries are looking to us for chocolate," he said. "We must immediately establish new nurseries for cocoa trees and rejuvenate existing plantations."
Prabowo noted that the global price hike may be linked to an epidemic affecting cocoa trees in Latin America and Africa, two of the world's major cocoa producers. ■
