Vientiane: Indonesia is focusing on increasing domestic coffee production, with the goal of overtaking Vietnam as the world's second-largest coffee producer, according to Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan.
According to Lao News Agency, Indonesia currently holds the position of the fourth-largest coffee producer globally, with annual production exceeding 700,000 tonnes. Zulkifli Hasan expressed optimism that this figure can grow significantly with the implementation of effective strategies. The minister outlined a plan to boost productivity through the use of better quality seedlings, enhancement of post-harvest processing, and the adoption of more competitive packaging to elevate the value of Indonesian coffee.
Hasan highlighted that Indonesia possesses vast areas of land suitable for coffee cultivation and has 54 Geographical Indications (GI) for coffee. These include 26 for Arabica, 24 for Robusta, three for Liberica, and one for Excelsa. Currently, Indonesia is trailing behind Brazil, Vietnam, and Colombia in global coffee production, with Vietnam producing 1.8 million tonnes annually as the second-largest producer.
The minister emphasized the need for stronger cooperation between the government and the private sector to fully unlock Indonesia's coffee potential. According to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), Indonesia exported 342,220 tonnes of coffee worth 1.49 billion USD from January to September 2024. Concurrently, the country imported 67,650 tonnes of coffee valued at 319.84 million USD. The primary export destinations for Indonesian coffee include the Philippines, the US, and Malaysia.