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INVESTMENT Minister and Head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Bahlil Lahadalia encouraged the downstreaming of Papuan coffee at the 2024 Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE) held in Melbourne, Australia, on May 12-14.
Lahadalia, in the ministry’s statement here on Monday, said he was proud that several coffee brands originating from Papua were promoted at the MICE international coffee exhibition.
He encouraged the downstreaming of coffee products to provide added value for Papuan coffee farmers.
“The challenge is how to downstream coffee, so that its added value can be enjoyed domestically by the country and farmers,” he remarked.
Lahadalia affirmed that Wamena Lembah Baliem coffee, Bintang coffee, and Amungme coffee were three global Papuan brands, with their own characteristics, presented at MICE.
He explained that Wamena Lembah Baliem coffee comes from the Wamena area and is cultivated at an altitude of 1,200-1,600 meters above sea level, while Bintang coffee is grown organically, and its beans are harvested manually.
Meanwhile, Amungme coffee derives its name from the Amungme Tribe that manages it and is cultivated on the slopes of Mount Jayawijaya at an altitude of above 1,200 to two thousand meters above sea level.
MICE 2024 is the largest annual coffee exhibition in the Asia-Pacific region that is attended by several coffee industry players and their community. This year, the event was attended by more than 15 thousand baristas or coffee industry professionals to test their skills in processing coffee.
Lahadalia embarked on a working visit to Australia to be the keynote speaker at the Indonesia Australia Business Summit (IABS) 2024.
He affirmed that the government is committed to accelerating the downstreaming industry in Papua by building industrial infrastructure. [antaranews/photo special]
