INDONESIAN 'GAYO' COFFEE PROMOTED IN US, CANADA

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, April 21 (Antara) - Indonesia, the world's fourth largest coffee exporter, continues to promote its coffee products in the global market. One of the coffee products being promoted is the 'Gayo' Arabica Coffee.         'Gayo' is a plateau area in Central Aceh and Bener Meriah districts, Aceh province, in the western tip of Sumatra. Now, producers of Gayo coffee from Aceh Province are promoting their coffee, or Gayo Arabica coffee, in the United States and Canada.          The Gayo Arabica coffee producers are taking part in the Coffee Expo of Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) in Seatle, the United States, from April 19 to April 22 and the Coffee Promotion Event in Vancouver, Canada, from April 24 to April 25, 2018.          The promotions are being facilitated by Indonesia's Trade Ministry and Canada, through Indonesia-Canada Trade and Private Sector Assistance (TPSA).          According to Director General of National Export Development of the Ministry of Trade, Arlinda, the SCA Coffee Expo, the largest premium coffee exhibition in the world, was being held from April 19 to 22, 2018.

INDONESIA WILL SHINE AT U.S. COFFEE EXPO

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, March 26 (Antara) - Indonesia is known as a country that exports the best quality coffee, such as Robusta and Arabica coffee, but production at home last year remained slightly stagnant.          Its coffee products remain so popular in the global market that the Specialty Coffee Association America (SCAA) has named Indonesia as its official Portrait Country for its SCAA Expo 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia, the United States.          Indonesia's 3,200-mile archipelago with more than 13,000 islands, 120 active volcanoes, ample rainfall, fertile soil and ideal temperatures is home to a variety of coffees.          It is no surprise that Indonesia was named the third largest producer of coffee in the world in 2014, according to the International Coffee Organization.         Annually, Indonesia is estimated to produce 750 thousand metric tons of coffee. Of this, an estimated 154 thousand metric tons is required for domestic consumption. Of the exports, 25 percent are  Arabica beans, and the rest comprise Robusta.

RI COFFEE GROWERS TO EXPAND PLANTATIONS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 18 (ANTARA) - As their production has been  showing a downward trend over the past two years, coffee growers in Indonesia, the world's third largest coffee producer, want to increase the acreage of their plantations.          By increasing the acreage of their plantations, growers in the country expect to increase their production from this year's estimated 600,000 tons to between 900,000 tons and  1.2 million tons in the coming ten years.          "We will cooperate with the relevant ministries to prepare the needed land to expand coffee plantation acreage for farmers so that in the coming 10 years production could reach 900,000 tons to 1.2 million tons per annum," the Indonesian Coffee Industry and Exporters Association (AEKI) Deputy Chairman for Coffee Specialty and Industry Pranoto Soenarto said.          He said that expansion of plantation acreage was needed to produce better quality coffee beans.   Intensification with fertilizers could increase production quantity but it could not be guaranteed that it would also increase production quality.         "We want to increase the quality and quantity of production by increasing plantation acreage and using organic fertilizers," Pranoto said. But he did not mention the width of the needed acreage to increase coffee production up to 1.2 million tons in the coming ten years.          At present, he said, the country's coffee plantation areas cover 1.2 million hectares where over 90 percent were cultivated by smallholders.          This year, production is expected to drop to below previous estimate. AEKI has predicted   the volumes of the country's coffee production in 2011 at 600,000 tons only, lower than last year's volumes of 640,000 tons.          "Last year, the country's coffee production was about 640,000 tons," AEKI Chairman Suyanto Husein said here on Friday.          He said that his organization predicted early this year that Indonesia's coffee production could reach 700,000 tons but it was later revised down to 600,000 tons.  "There is an indication of decreasing production in a number of production centers in various regions due to bad weather," he said.          The AEKI chairman said that the drop in the coffee production was due in part to the increasing acreage of old plants besides unfavorable weather conditions.  While the old plant acreage is increasing, efforts to rejuvenate plants and launch intensification programs are still limited.          For this reason AEKI was planning to expand plantation acreage to increase production.          Besides in the drop of production, AEKI has also predicted a decline in the country's coffee exports this year.          The Association of Indonesian Coffee Exporters and Industries has predicted the country's coffee exports in 2011 will reach only around 390,000 tons, down from last year's figure.           AEKI general chairman Suyanto Husein said the drop in exports is caused by declining production and increasing domestic consumption.       According to AEKI data, exports of coffee beans in 2010 reached 443,969 tons worth US$791.76 million. AEKI earlier last year predicted that Indonesia's coffee export volumes in 2010 would drop from 400,000 tons worth US$773 million per annum to 325,000 tons valued at US$650 million.          Indonesia's traditional coffee export markets, especially for Robusta coffee, included Japan, Latin American countries, South Africa and Europe. Its Arabica coffee was exported to Germany and the United States.  Indonesia's competitors for Arabica are Brazil, Columbia, Mexico, Costa Rica and El Salvador. Its competitor for Robusta is Vietnam. Vietnam is the biggest Robusta coffee exporter in Asia while the Latin American countries were big exporters of Arabica coffee.          Indonesia's Robusta coffee is produced by the provinces of Bengkulu, South Sulawesi and Lampung while the Arabica type by Aceh and North Sumatra. About 80 percent of Indonesia's coffee exports are those of the Robusta type while the remainders are Arabica.          Apart as producer of Arabica and Robusta coffee, Indonesia is well-known for having different types of coffee such as Toraja coffee, Aceh coffee, Mandailing coffee and Luwak (civet) coffee.          Up to now, Indonesia is still recorded as the world's third largest coffee producers after Brazil and Vietnam.          The drop of Indonesia?s coffee exports was not merely caused by declining production but also by increasing consumption at home. Suyanto Husein said that domestic coffee consumption that reached only 190,000 tons last year would increase to 210,000 tons in 2011.          "The trend in domestic coffee consumption is always up by around 20 percent a year but it is not always reflected in rising production of coffee beans," he said.          He said this happened because many people consumed coffee which is made in mixture with other beans. "It is not pure coffee. Some mix it with corn," he said.          Pranoto Soenarto, meanwhile said that the increasing coffee consumption did not only happen in the country but also in other countries.  This would push up the price of the world coffee because coffee production is fluctuating and dependent on climate.***5*** (T.A014/A/HAJM/19:57/a014 ) 18-06-2011 19:58:

RI'S COFFEE EXPORTS TO CHINA DECLINING

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, July 17 (ANTARA) - Indonesia, one of the world's  coffee producers, is launching a promotional campaign in the world largest market China, amid predictions that its exports to that country are declining this year.          Aiming at Chinese youth consumers, Indonesia this week was taking part in the Shanghai World Expo 2010, where, during the promotion event, it organized a drink coffee ritual program to attract Chinese consumers.          It was part of its promotion efforts to increase exports to that country by among other things opening a special coffee outlet at the Indonesian Pavilion.          "We have chosen a special stand for Indonesian original coffee and it has attracted quite many numbers of buyers. Hundreds of glasses of coffee could be offered every day," Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu said in a thanksgiving party held in connection with the achievement of the Indonesian pavilion at the World Expo 2010.          While promotion is being held overseas, Indonesia's coffee production is actually declining at home due to various reasons. This year its coffee exports to China were predicted to drop.          Yet, the Indonesian Coffee Exporters Association (AEKI) expressed optimism that Indonesia's coffee export target set at 325,000 tons worth US$650 million could be achieved even though coffee production in coffee producing provinces was declining.          "In the middle of this year, the volume of Indonesia's coffee exports reached 200,000 tons with a value of US$325 million. I am confident the export target is achievable," AEKI executive secretary Rachim Kartabrata said.          However, he said, Indonesia's coffee export volumes this year were expected to drop from 400,000 tons worth US$773 million per annum to 325,000 tons valued at US$650 million.          Kartabrata said that the decline of Indonesia's coffee exports was due to the fact that coffee production in the region was declining while stocks gathered last year were not exported.          Indonesia's traditional coffee export markets for Robusta included Japan, Latin American countries, South Africa and Europe, while for Arabica was exported to Germany and the United States.          Indonesia's competitors for Robusta are Brazil, Columbia, Mexico, Costa Rica and El Salvador. Its competitor for Robusta is Vietnam.          "Vietnam is the biggest Robusta coffee exporter in Asia while the Latin American countries were big exporters of Arabica coffee because they grow coffee plantations 1,000 meters above the sea levels," Karbarata said.          Indonesia's Robusta coffee is produced by the provinces of Bengkulu, South Sulawesi and Lampung while  the Arabica type by Aceh and North Sumatra. "About 80 percent of Indonesia's coffee exports are those of the Robusta type while the remainders are Arabica," Kartabrata said.          According to trade ministry data, Indonesia's coffee exports to China from January to April 2010 reached US$0.53 million, up 31.3 percent from the same period last year.          In 2009, the country's total coffee exports to China reached US$2.3 million.          Deputy Finance Minister Bayu Krisnamurthi said that Indonesia was aiming at young Chinese coffee consumers whose market share was expected to reach 350 million people.          "The demand for coffee of this group reaches 17 percent of China's overall annual demand for coffee," Bayu Krisnamurthi said on the sidelines of his visit to the Indonesian Coffee Exhibition in Shanghai World Expo, Shanghai, China, said.          The deputy minister was leading an Indonesian delegation to the Chinese expo with members consisting of 20 national coffee producing companies and members of the Indonesian Coffee Exporters Association (AEKI).          The Indonesian coffee promotion delegation includes representatives from the Association of Indonesian Coffee Exporters and 20 coffee producers. Four of the world's ten best coffee products, recognized by the world's coffee associations are from Indonesia, namely coffee from Toraja, Gayo, Mandailing and East Java.          Krisnamurthi said that given the good coffee marketing prospects in China, Indonesia's exports of the commodity to that country may reach 50,000 tons a year.          "Chinese consumers enjoy Indonesian coffee very much," he said through a short text message from Shanghai to ANTARA on Friday. He said Chinese consumers like exotic coffee products such as those from Toraja and Manado.          Even though Indonesia's coffee exports are predicted to drop this year, hopefully, its overall exports to that country will grow.          Hatta Rajasa said Indonesia's exports to China would continue to grow although that country's economic growth was declining. "China will continue to need enormous amounts of energy. Our exports will continue to increase though there is a slowing-down process there," the minister said on Friday.          He said Indonesia's export commodities to China were commodities in which other countries could not easily compete with Indonesia. Statistical data indicated that China's economic growth in the first quarter of 2010 was recorded at 11.9 percent but in the second quarter it dropped to 10.3 percent.          The slowing down in economic growth was believed to be intentionally designed by the Chinese government in an effort to avoid the overheating of the economy.          Hatta said Indonesia would continue its efforts to maintain its surplus in its balance of trade with China. "In the near future an Indonesian team will be leaving for China to discuss the balance of trade. We should not suffer a deficit in our balance of trade with China," the chief economic minister said.          He said that Indonesia's trade value with China at present reached US$30 billion.          "I am optimistic that in 2014 the trade value will reach US$50 billion with a maintained balance of payments," Hatta Rajasa said.***2*** (T.A014/ H-NG/f001 )17-07-2010 10:37: