TEMPO.CO, Jakarta-A number of civet coffee or kopi luwak producers in West Lampung District said their production of the premium coffee has started to increase at the start of harvest season.
“It’s a start of coffee harvest season, the peak is expected to take place in June to August. Therefore, we are able to increase civet coffee production to meet market demand,” the head of Robusta Civet Coffee Mix Quality Division (GKLR) West Lampung Sukardi told Tempo yesterday, May 23, 2016.
He said that civet coffee producers have started production since the raw material, mature coffee beans, have been met. In a month, ten active civet coffee producers, incorporated in GKLR West Lampung, have able to produce at least 500 kilograms of beans or 300 kilograms of coffee powder.
“The production can be increased to meet market demand. We also adjust production with market demand because it is associated with production costs,” said the civet coffee producer with Kupi Musong Liwa brand.
He is able to produce roughly 100 kilograms of beans and 50 kilograms of civet coffee powder in a month.
The price of robusta civet coffee in the form of green beans in Jakarta is Rp500 thousand per kilogram, whereas the same coffee in the form of roasted beans is Rp1 million per kilogram. In West Lampung, the price of civet coffee beans is Rp300 thousand per kilogram and roasted beans is Rp450 thousand per kilogram.
Indonesian Coffee Exporter Association (AEKI) Lampung Province hopes that civet coffee producers in the region can improve their production and quality since the demand for the premium coffee is still high.
“Lampung civet coffee producers can improve production and quality, also to seek export market, so that the demand for the premium coffee can be increased,” said the head of Planning, Research and Development Compartment of AEKI Lampung Muchtar Lutfie.
