"I am grateful for the opportunity to send off the exports of 10 containers of coffee worth nearly US$1.5 million in total," he said in Deli Serdang.
He underlined the need for Indonesia to continue boosting the volume of coffee exports, considering coffee's status as one of the country's featured export commodities.
The minister then highlighted that the Indonesian government is currently making efforts to ensure that the European Union Deforestation Regulation does not hinder the nation's exports of clove, pepper, coffee, and palm oil to Western markets.
"We are currently doing our best to complete negotiations on the IEU-CEPA (Indonesia-European Union Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement)," he said.
By completing and rolling out the agreement, he explained, Indonesia will not face any obstacles in exporting those commodities to markets in the European Union or the United States.
He further noted that in the past five years, the value of Indonesia's coffee exports has grown by five percent.
"Our main competitors are South American countries such as Colombia. They wield a vast area of highlands that are very suitable for coffee plantations," he stated.
To conquer the global coffee market, he deemed it necessary for Indonesia to further enhance the quality of its coffee products by adopting organic planting methods and creating more appealing packages.
Meanwhile, Ujang Iradhah Hasan, the exporter of the coffee consignment, said that the export send-off of his coffee products had encouraged his company to support the government's efforts to promote Indonesian coffee.
"We seek to help elevate the living standards of farmers and boost foreign exchange," he added.
He said that the exported coffee beans were produced by farmers in Aceh and North Sumatra in compliance with international standards.
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Translator: M. Sahbainy, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Tia Mutiasari
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