Jakarta, Jan 12 - Indonesia's coffee bean exports from the main coffee-growing area of Sumatra rose 66 percent in 2008 on bumper harvests, trade data showed on Friday.
Sumatran coffee bean exports soared to 303,680.34 tonnes in 2008 from 183,070.23 tonnes in 2007. Exports value also jumped to $586.56 million from $301.64 million.
"Bigger harvest in 2008 was mainly due to supporting weather condition since late 2007," said Suherman Harsono, chairman of the Lampung chapter of the Indonesia Coffee Exporters' Association.
The exports data also showed that that the retreat in commodity prices on global recession fears did not have significant impact on export performance in 2008, he said.
"Data doesn't really tell the crisis impact. It looks that there was still some demand in the market," Harsono said.
He said this year could also see good harvests if there are no strong winds or storms in January, when coffee trees start to grow cherries.
The main robusta harvest in Sumatra normally starts in March and peaks in August. Robusta accounts for 85 percent of Indonesia's coffee bean output, while aromatic, higher-value arabica makes up the rest.
Lampung, South Sumatra, and Bengkulu provinces are Indonesia's main coffee-growing areas and account for three-quarters of the country's coffee bean output.