North Sumatra Earns US$12.7 Million from Cocoa Exports

Medan, North Sumatra - North Sumatra earned US$12.7 million in foreign exchange from cocoa exports in the first three months of 2007, a local official said.
"The value of the cocoa exports from January to March 2007 increased by about US$3 million from US$9.4 million in a corresponding period last year," Fitra Kurnia, an official of North Sumatra’s industry and trade office, said here on Thursday.
The volume of the cocoa exports also increased to 7,636 tons from last year''s 7,015 tons in the first three month period of 2006, he said.
North Sumatra''s cocoa exports go to several countries such as Malaysia, China, Singapore and Thailand.
The higher cocoa export earnings happened because of an increase in the world cocoa price and in demand for the commodity, he said. (Source: Antara030507)