TEMPO.CO, Trading Company or PPI, in collaboration with the Indonesian Integrated Coconut Cooperative (KKTI), exports 1,000 tons of coconut shell charcoal to Sri Lanka. “This is the first time for PPI to export the coconut shell charcoal,” said President Director of PPI, Agus Andiyani in Tasikmalaya City, West Java, Wednesday, September 26.
Agus said the total export value of coconut shell charcoal is US$560,000. The charcoal will be processed into cosmetics, filtering tool or water filter, preservatives, carbon, briquettes, etc. Of the 1,000 tons charcoal, 600 tons were supplied from West Java. The rest was supplied from Makassar, Gorontalo and Palembang. “[The charcoal is] taken from several provinces but the pilot project is here,” Agus said.
Agus hopes that the farmers can increase their production and targets it to 10,000 metric tons per month. PPI also targets to export the charcoal to Korea and a number of other countries. KKTI Chairman Lismayana said the coconut shell charcoal business could absorb a lot of labor.
“Indonesian coconuts are the best in the world and the amount is quite massive,” said Lismayana. Chairman of the West Java KKTI, Yudi Setiadi, said that the raw materials for charcoal were obtained from Tasikmalaya, Ciamis and Pangandaran. “Now, there are 60 farmers assisted by KKTI,” he said.
