REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BANDUNG -- West Java Governor Ahmad Heryawan opined that Sweden is one of the potential markets for West Java coffee. Moreover, most people in the country are coffee aficionados.

"The Color of Indonesia, to be held on May 14, 2018, in Stockholm, Sweden, by the Indonesian Embassy in Stockholm is a great opportunity to market West Java's coffee to Swedes," the governor noted in a press release received by Antara here on Tuesday.

The governor, who is on a visit to Sweden, remarked that Swedes are coffee aficionados, as they could consume eight to ten cups of coffee per day.

The West Java provincial government has welcomed the Color of Indonesia, as the event is an opportunity to build cooperation between West Java and the Skane Region.

Heryawan pointed out that coffee farmers and baristas of West Java often participate in major events like the one to be held in Stockholm.

"We will send a certified West Java coffee barista on May 14, 2018. They received their professional certification from the United States," he stated.

Meanwhile, Indonesian Ambassador to Sweden Bagas Hapsoro added that the Color of Indonesia coincides with fika, the tradition of drinking coffee in Sweden that is often accompanied with pastries or other sweets.

First Secretary to Economic Affairs at the Embassy Rahmawati Wulandari noted that the Indonesian Embassy had met coffee associations in Sweden to mobilize its members to support the May 14 event.

"They are coffee consumers, and they could also drink eight cups of coffee per day. We want to promote our coffee and expand the Swedish people's knowledge about Indonesian coffee, especially the one from West Java," Wulandari remarked.

According to Wulandari, Swedish coffee lovers are keen to know and directly interact with coffee plantation owners before enjoying their beverage.

"We invite them to see the coffee plantations in West Java, so that they will gain knowledge regarding the planting process, harvesting the beans, and the manner in which coffee beans are processed to a cup of coffee," she emphasized.

Coffee was introduced in the archipelago by the Dutch, who had initially planted coffee around the Batavia area. In the 17th and 18th centuries, coffee production quickly spread to Bogor and Sukabumi in West Java.

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Indonesia has an almost ideal climate for coffee production. Hence, plantations were immediately established in other areas in Java, Sumatra, and Sulawesi.

Indonesia's coffee plantations currently cover a total area of approximately 1.24 million hectares, comprising 933 hectares of robusta plantations and 307 hectares of arabica plantations.

More than 90 percent of the total plantations are cultivated by small-scale farmers, with each having an area of about one to two hectares.

During the 2016-2017 period, Indonesia was among the top five coffee exporters, totaling 6,891 thousand packs, with each weighing 60 kilograms, behind Brazil, Vietnam, and Colombia.

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