CSP Distributes Thousands of Covid-19 Responses Support Packages to Cocoa Farmer in Pinrang and Luwu

Belopa, August 05, 2020—Since the beginning of this year, the Covid-19 outbreak had been spread to most of regions in the world. Indonesia as well had experienced the direct impacts. From the data of national government, there are 116,871 persons had been confirmed positive, and 73,889 persons had been recovered. In South Sulawesi Province, there are approximately 9,858 positively impacted persons, and 6,662 of them had been recovered.

Aside of health issue which is caused by a new virus of coronavirus, a group of viruses that infects respiration system, the Covid-19 pandemic also affects the global economic. The policy of large-scale restriction at most of regions had negatively impacted the global economic development. And the farmers as the heart of economic development also experience the impact of this pandemic disease.

As responses of this issue, Cocoa Sustainability Partnership with its members are working hand-in-hand to provide supports for cocoa farmers in the cocoa production centres in Indonesia. The supports are expected to encourage the spirits to keep working in producing and taking care their cocoa commodity. With the supports of its members, CSP distributes thousand packages of hand washing soaps, facemasks, t-shirts, and biscuit products in two districts of South Sulawesi Province.

Following the health and safety procedures, the responses aid packages are handed symbolically to the cocoa farmers. With the Regent of Luwu District, H. Basmin Mattayang and staffs, CSP distributes these Covid-19 response aid to some of farmer group representatives in this area. “This response aid is the form of good synergy among government and private parties in providing supports to the cocoa farmers in the impacted area. The aid will be distributed directly to the farmers that had been facilitated before,” said Regent of Luwu District in his speech on Wednesday, August 05, 2020, in Meeting Room of Bappeda, Luwu.

The package is consisted of 1,050 t-shirts, 2,500 fabric facemasks, and 50 boxes of biscuit will be distributed to the cocoa farmers who had been facilitated through Cocoa Life Program of Mondelēz International in Luwu District. Furthermore, the Indonesian Cocoa Association, Mars, PT. Pupuk Kalimantan Timur, and Cargill, also donate 700 liquid hand washing soap, and 700 bar soap during the ceremony. “This Covid-19 response aid is coordinated by CSP through its members in order to be distributed directly to the cocoa farmers in two districts in South Sulawesi Province. And it is a form of supports from all sustainable cocoa sector stakeholders in Indonesia for the cocoa farmers who are affected by Covid-19 pandemics. Moreover, CSP also provides other contributions as allocation of Subsidized NPK Specific Formula Fertilizer that had been distributed this year,” Wahyu Wibowo, Executive Director of CSP said.

In the previous day, the similar Covid-19 responses aid also had been distributed to the cocoa farmers in Pinrang District. There were 450 t-shirts, 1,000 fabric facemasks, 50 boxes of biscuit, 300 liquid hand washing soap, and 300 bar soaps that delivered symbolically at Meeting Room of Livestock and Plantation Office of Pinrang District. With the presences of Ir. Muhammad Ilyas as Head of Livestock and Plantation Office, the support packages were distributed to the cocoa farmer representatives. “The success of cocoa production improvement program is our collective responsibility and it must be a collective action. The distribution of Covid-19 responses supports is the proof of private sector supports to the cocoa farmers,” Ir. Muhammad Ilyas said.

In the similar occasion, Andi Sitti Asmayanti as the Director of Cocoa Life Southeast Asia Program also adds that as efforts in reducing the outbreak impacts of Covid-19, Mondelēz International works closely with its partners in Indonesia. Through the partners, the program had distributed hygiene kits, hand washing stations, facemasks, food, communication tools (pamphlet, brochure, training, etc.) of Covid-19 prevention, and other essential products. “We know that knowledge is one of the best prevention methods, so we are supporting the dissemination and use of child-friendly and farmer-friendly virus-related training materials as well as improving local government capacity through online “training of trainers”, to raise awareness in local communities,” said Andi Sitti Asmayanti.

Arie Novel Iskandar, Chairperson of Indonesian Cocoa Association also explains that this Covid-19 response relief for the cocoa farmers in South Sulawesi Province is the fruit of collaboration among stakeholders in sustainable cocoa development in Indonesia. “As one of the actors in this sector, Indonesian Cocoa Association takes essential part in keeping the cocoa smallholder farmers to produce during the pandemic. Aside of this response, the association also collects supports from various parties to be distributed in the natural disaster impacted areas. Including in the North Luwu District, South Sulawesi that recently hit by flood,” he added. (CSP/AH)