RI coffee exports record 7.5% growth

RI coffee exports record 7.5% growth

SINGAPORE (Dow Jones): Indonesia's coffee exports rose 7.5%
on-year to an estimated 162,301 metric tons in the eight months
to end-May, according to data Friday from the Association of
Indonesian Coffee Exporters, or AEKI.

In terms of export value, Indonesian coffee exports in the
October 2000 through May 2001 period totaled US$130.5 million
compared with US$197.3 million in the corresponding period in
1999/2000.

The decline in value is due to falling world coffee prices,
which have adversely affected returns of coffee growers in many
producing origins.

Japan, U.S. and Germany were the biggest buyers of Indonesia
coffee between October 2000 and April 2001, taking up 25,805
tons, 18,403 tons and 15,301 tons, respectively, AEKI said.

The benchmark robusta coffee contract at the London
International Financial Futures and Options Exchange has fallen
36 percent in the past 12 months to $559 a metric ton at
Thursday's close.

Arabicas have fallen 35 percent on New York's Coffee, Sugar
and Cocoa Exchange to 58.20 cents a pound on the nearby contract.

Indonesia is the world's second largest producer of robusta
coffee after Vietnam.