Bali produces environmentally friendly coffee beans

Denpasar, Bali Province, (ANTARA News) - Bali is determined to produce environmentally friendly coffee beans to meet demands internationally.

"Our farmers have been told to use manure and natural pesticides in coffee plantations," Head of the Bali plantation service Gede Ardhana said here on Saturday.

The coffee beans were meant for exports among other things to japan, France, and the United States, he said.

Bali has 31,831 hectares of coffee plantation areas, which consisted of coffea arabica (7,963 ha), and coffea robusca (23,878 ha).

In 2007, the plantations produced 15,647 tons of coffee beans, comprising 3,296 tons of arabica coffee beans and 12,351 tons of robusta coffee beans.

Bali earned US$78,704 from coffee exports at a volume of 7.8 tons last year, or an increase of 54 percent from US$50,838 and 5.6 tons in 2006.(*)