Medan, North Sumatra (Antara Bali) - Demand for Indonesian products of instant coffee especially from North Sumatra has increased from year to year despite tight competition notably from Malaysia.
The largest demand has been recorded from China , South Korea and even Malaysia, chairman of the North Sumatra branch of the Indonesian Association of Coffee Exporters (AEKI) Saidul Alam said here on Sunday.
Saidul said North Sumatra's exports of instant coffee totaled 2.7 million kilograms valued at US$13.1 million in 2015, up from 1.8 million kg valued at US$11.51 million in 2014.
In 2016, exports are expected to increase further including exports to China and Japan, he said.
He said the export of instant coffee would not affect exports of coffee beans as the market segments are not the same.
In 2015, North Sumatra exported 70.78 million kg of arabica coffee beans and 144,570 kg of robusta.
In 2014, exports of coffee beans from the province, one of the largest coffee producer in the country, totaled 65.28 million kg.
Indonesia, which produces between 650,000 to 750,000 tons of coffee beans a year, is currently the fourth-largest coffee producer after Brazil, Vietnam and Colombia.
Indonesia is the second largest producer of robusta coffee after Vietnam. (WDY)
