The Farmers and Market Were Ready, so Why Did Growth Slow Down? Inside the Missing Link in Aceh Tenggara’s Cocoa Future

In the past two years, Andre had been producing cocoa seedlings for farmers who wanted to rehabilitate their farms and improve productivity. Orders came in as farmers showed increased interest. Though the market was there, surging demand came with difficulties due to inconsistent availability of the raw materials needed to produce quality seedlings. Like many nursery operators in the region, Andre relied on scattered farmer plots for quality planting materials. “Some periods bring enough supply. Others do not. When planting material becomes difficult to source, nursery production slows down, regardless of how many farmers are ready to buy,” Andre recalled.

His challenge seemed technical at first, but it revealed a much larger issue. Many development efforts focused on the farm. A certain number of farmers were trained, and new farming practices and methods were introduced. But what happens when farmers are ready to improve, and the system cannot reliably provide the high-quality planting material they need? According to Andre, a centralized rootstock garden with reliable quality could change everything. Consistent access to planting materials would help nursery businesses produce seedlings more steadily and respond to market needs with greater confidence.

The benefits travel much further than the nursery. They eventually reach farmers like Hardi, a cocoa farmer from Lawe Bekung Tampahan, Badar district. For more than sixteen years, Hardi has had a front-row seat to the industry's evolution. He has participated in various training programmes and has seen growing awareness of improved farming practices among producers. However, many still struggle to access quality planting material and the resources needed to rejuvenate aging farms.

A cocoa tree is not forever. As trees age, productivity declines. Farmers know they should replace old trees with stronger varieties, but the decision is costly. Without access to reliable planting material, rehabilitation becomes harder and slower. At the kitchen table, this is a conversation about family income more than it is about seeds. About whether a harvest can help pay school expenses and whether a farmer's hard work will yield better results five years from now instead of just helping them survive the next season. To Hardi, easier access to quality planting material means farmers can rejuvenate their farms with more confidence. It gives them a clearer path forward.

This is where the story moves beyond the experience of one nursery entrepreneur or one cocoa farmer toward an actual missing link in the cocoa market system, a bottleneck that affects almost everyone. Hence, the development of a cocoa rootstock and budwood garden in Aceh Tenggara represents an attempt to build the missing foundation of the region's cocoa future.

Building the System that Makes Better Cocoa Possible

In July 2026, a 1.5-hectare cocoa rootstock garden in Lawe Bekung Village and a 0.5-hectare budwood garden in Purwodadi Village were made available through a collaboration between Swisscontact, PT. Kudeungoe Sugata Indonesia, and the Aceh Tenggara District Government. As the only government-owned cocoa rootstock garden in Sumatra, it was designed to become a long-term source of superior planting materials that farmers and nursery operators could trust. Its purpose was none other than to improve the quality of planting materials, strengthen productivity, and raise cocoa quality, thus creating greater economic opportunities for farming communities.

The effort was built on more than a decade of work. Since 2011, sustainable cocoa programmes have supported farmers with technical training and stronger market connections. Under the Sustainable Landscape Program Indonesia in the Leuser Alas-Singkil River-basin Landscape (SLPI-LASR), Swisscontact worked alongside local government agencies, private sector partners, researchers, and farming communities to turn an idea into infrastructure.

According to Hendra, Head of the Plantation Division at the Agriculture Office of Aceh Tenggara Regency, success depends on much more than planting trees. He explains, “The initiative must be built on careful planning, certified superior seedlings, suitable land selection, modern cultivation practices, and supporting infrastructure.” The emphasis on standards is important because quality planting material does not appear by chance. Every productive cocoa tree represents a chain of decisions that begins years earlier. This includes everything from the origin of the genetic material to the management system and the process through which seedlings reach farmers. Riskan, Head of the Agriculture Office of Aceh Tenggara Regency, seconds this and sees the rootstock garden as a strategic investment in the district's cocoa sector. Serving as a trusted source of planting materials with clear quality assurance and traceability.

Many development projects fail because people focus on visible outcomes instead of invisible systems. Everyone celebrates the harvest. Few people think about the infrastructure that made the harvest possible.

A young entrepreneur wants reliable supply.

A farmer wants the ability to improve his farm.

The government wants a stronger and more competitive cocoa sector.

Though each sees the challenge from a different lens, all are arriving at the same conclusion. The future of cocoa in Aceh Tenggara depends on fixing the one missing link that connects them all. Andre sees a reliable supply of planting material that would allow nursery businesses like his to grow with greater confidence. Hardi, the farmer, sees a realistic pathway to rejuvenate aging plantations and improve productivity. And the wider sector? A valuable opportunity. The opportunity for local enterprises to expand, for farmers to invest in their future with greater certainty, and for Aceh Tenggara to strengthen its position as a competitive cocoa-producing region.