Cargill announced that by the end of this month it will begin cocoa processing tests at its state-of-the-art cocoa processing plant in Gresik, in the East Java region of Indonesia.

Construction of the plant is nearing completion. When the plant opens later this year it will have capabilities to process approximately 70,000 metric tons of cocoa beans into cocoa powder, cocoa butter and cocoa liquor for customers in Indonesia and other Asian countries.

The Gresik facility will be Cargill's first cocoa processing plant in Asia, set up to better serve the needs of customers in Asia. The company's latest $100 million investment in Indonesia demonstrates Cargill's commitment to develop and grow Indonesia's cocoa industry, while strengthening the company's cocoa sourcing network and cocoa sustainability activities in Indonesia.

The cocoa beans to be processed at the plant will be supplied primarily from Sulawesi, where cocoa farming is the principal income for hundreds of thousands of families and where Cargill has been sourcing cocoa since 1995. With the plant opening, Cargill will create approximately 200 new jobs in Indonesia, as well as additional positions in its existing R&D application center in Kuala Lumpur.

"The commissioning of our new facility brings us one step closer to the realization of our plans to go live," said Jos de Loor, president, Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate. "This also signals that we are closer to meeting the demands and needs of our customers in this region and in Indonesia. As a leading global processor of cocoa, Cargill is committed to providing our customers with high-quality cocoa, grown in a sustainable way. Cargill has seen a significant growth in demand for cocoa products across Asia. We plan to continue investment in the region to support the growth of the region and source local crops to produce high-quality cocoa products to meet the needs of customers across the Asia region."

In another development in Indonesia, Cargill has just launched its second Indonesian Cargill Cocoa Promise program in Soppeng, South Sulawesi. The Cargill Cocoa Promise is the company's global commitment to the development of a sustainable cocoa supply chain and to making a difference in three key areas—improving the lives of cocoa farmers, supporting cocoa farming communities, and investing in the future of cocoa farming.