Agri-business company Olam International plans to invest around $61m to build a new cocoa processing facility in Indonesia.
The facility will produce cocoa butter, cocoa cake and high quality cocoa powders, with an initial capacity of 60,000 tons.
The plant will primarily process Indonesian beans sourced through Olam's traceable cocoa network, comprising 32,000 farmers who form the core of its sustainable supply chain in the country, as well as from its plantation on Seram Island acquired in 2013.
Additionally, beans will also be supplied from the company's farm-gate networks in Africa. The new facility is expected to start operations in early 2016.
Olam International cocoa global head and managing director Gerry Manley said the company's decision to make a strategic move to establish a processing facility in Indonesia is based upon long term investment in sourcing cocoa in the country.
"We strongly believe that we are entering a phase of exceptional growth in Asian demand, which will redefine the consumption trends for cocoa and the requirements for high quality products by our customers," Manley added.