Bali's Coffee Exports Up 3.31 Pct

Denpasar (Antara Bali) - Bali exported 961 kilograms of coffee worth 74,376.67 US dollars in the first quarter this year, a 3.31 pct increase from 13,916 US dollars in same period last year.

But in terms of volume there has been an increase of only 186.87 percent because in last year's same period only 335 kilograms had been exported, Head of the Bali government administration spokesman I Ketut Teneng said in Denpasar Thursday.

He said last year Bali exported 30.26 tons of coffee worth 215,074 US dollars, a 30.26 pct increase from 126,584 US dollars in last year's same period.

Ketut Teneng said Balinese farmers started growing environmentally favorable coffee in Bali by using organic fertilizers from cows.

"The coffee growers have been synergising their activities with cow farming on the sidelines of their plantations, so that they received double income, namely cows and coffee, and the wastes of the cows are used to fertilize their coffee crops," Ketut Teneng said.

The coffee can compete in the export market with similar commodities of other countries. Ketut Teneng added that coffee took the form of rice seeds and after processing reached the Japanese and French markets as well as those in some other countries in Europe.(*/M038)