JAKARTA - Although world coffee prices are rising, Indonesia cannot take advantage of this momentum. This is because the volume of Indonesian coffee exports is declining.""In addition, national coffee production has slackened due to delays in harvesting due to the effects of climate change,"" said Director of Exports of Agricultural and Forestry Products at the Ministry of Trade Yamanah A.C. at the Ministry of Trade building yesterday.

Data from the Ministry of Trade states that the growth of coffee exports from domestic producers tends to be negative. The value of coffee exports from January to April this year reached US$ 158.6 million or around Rp 1.44 trillion. This figure is down 20 percent compared to the export value in the same period last year of US$ 199.8 million or equivalent to Rp 1.8 trillion.

Executive Secretary of the Indonesian Coffee Exporters Association Rachim Kartabrata explained that the price of robusta coffee on the international market has increased since last week. The price of robusta coffee is US$ 1.6 from the previous US$ 1.4 per kilogram. Meanwhile, the price of arabica coffee touched US$ 3.2 per kilogram. ""Arabica produced in Indonesia is a special type, whose price is 30 percent higher than ordinary arabica,"" he said.

Rachim said the export value during the January-April period fell because coffee stocks in 2009 were running low. ""Coffee stocks in 2009 were almost sold out because in that year coffee prices were high, reaching US$2.2 per kilogram,"" he said. Not surprisingly, last year the value of coffee exports exceeded US$ 700 million.

Looking at the export performance in the first quarter, he is pessimistic that this year's export performance can resemble the achievements in 2009. The market has difficulty finding coffee. Even if there is, the price at the farm level is also expensive, so Rachim cannot predict when the harvest will return to normal. However, Rachim hopes that at least the value of coffee exports this year can exceed US$ 500 million. (eka utami aprilia)