Changes in Cocoa Bean Quality During Fermentation and Their Implications for Increasing the Added Value of the Smallholder Cocoa Agroindustry in North Maluku
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52046/agrikan.v18i2.2803Keywords:
Cocoa Fermentation, Cocoa Bean Quality, Value Addition, Cocoa Agroindustry, Smallholder FarmersAbstract
Fermentation is a crucial postharvest process that improves cocoa bean quality and determines the added value of cocoa products within the agroindustrial chain. Most smallholder cocoa farmers in Indonesia still market unfermented cocoa beans, resulting in lower quality and reduced market prices. This study aimed to evaluate changes in cocoa bean quality during fermentation and analyze their implications for enhancing value addition in smallholder cocoa agroindustry. Four fermentation durations were applied: 3, 4, 5, and 6 days. Parameters observed included slaty beans, mouldy beans, moisture content, and fat content. The results showed that six days of fermentation produced the lowest slaty bean percentage (3.33%) and the highest fat content (40.27%). Mouldy beans ranged from 2.33% to 3.33%, while moisture content ranged from 5.24% to 5.65%. Improvements in bean quality during fermentation have the potential to increase the competitiveness of cocoa raw materials for processing industries and support sustainable cocoa agroindustry development. Fermentation for 5–6 days can therefore serve as an effective strategy to improve raw material quality, expand access to premium markets, and increase farmer-level value addition.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Mustamin A. Masuku, Rifaldi Masuku
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
