Indonesian Coffee Exporters Facing Challenges: Deputy Trade Minister

Surabaya, East Java - Indonesian coffee exporters are currently facing big challenges as foreign countries are tightening import products, deputy trade minister Bayu Krisnamurthi. "One of the challenges come from the Japanese government," he said after visiting PT Aneka Coffee Industry's factory in Sidoarjo, East Java, on Wednesday. He said the Japanese government suspected that coffee from national exporters contained dangerous substances such as pesticide. "In terms of stocks Indonesia is able to send as much as the Japanese market demands," he said. The deputy minister said another challenge was the increasing variety of demands from both domestic and international markets. Even some foreign consumers prioritized hygiene when selecting coffee from Indonesia, he added. "Consumers' demand varies. Some like instant coffee, others low-acid, 3 in 1 and ginger coffee," he said. PT Aneka Coffee Industry CEO Moelarji Sudargo meanwhile said that he was now targeting several countries in Africa in anticipation of the decline in the coffee export market demand. "National coffee exporters' challenge is bigger. We have to create special strategies so that we would remain in existence in the global market," he said. He hoped cooperation between the government and national coffee business could be developed so that national coffee industry would continue to grow and be able to dominate the international market.(*)