W

ith reduced availability of land hampering productivity, tea production in Indonesia, the world'€™s seventh-largest tea producer, needs to be stimulated, the Agriculture Ministry says.

Land conversion of tea plantations has reached a high level of 2,000 hectares (ha) per year in the last five years, resulting in a decline in the country'€™s tea output to 146,682 tons last year from 156,604 tons in 2010, according to the ministry.

'€œUnfortunately that happened. Our tea actually has a very good potential,'€ the ministry'€™s spice and herbs director, Azwar Abu Bakar, said recently.

Indonesia'€™s tea has the highest catechin (natural antioxidant) content in the world.

China, India, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Turkey, respectively, ranked first- to the sixth-largest tea producers ahead of Indonesia.

The country exported 70,841 tons of tea valued at US$157.5 million in 2013, lower than the 87,100 tons worth $178.5 million recorded in 2010.

Agriculture Ministry plantation director general Gamal Nasir said the ministry would double the budget to revitalize tea plantations in the country, expecting a significant surge on tea production.

The ministry had allocated Rp 50 billion ($4.32 million) to revitalize a 3,200 ha of tea plantations in West Java this year, with a target of 147,704 tons in tea output.

'€œWe chose West Java because 60 percent of the country'€™s tea plantations are located in the province. In addition, the province'€™s tea output is among the best,'€ Azwar said.

The allocated budget would be for carrying out an intensification program for 1,700 ha of tea plantations and a rehabilitation program for another 1,500 ha of tea plantations, according to Gamal.

The intensification program includes providing fertilizers and experts to help the tea farmers, while the rehabilitation program includes providing new tea seeds as well as fertilizers.

The programs will be carried out in a number of regencies in West Java, including Cianjur, Sukabumi, Garut, Bandung, Majalengka, Purwakarta and West Bandung.

Tea consumption has also been in a downward trajectory in recent years, amounting to 615 gram per capita last year versus 688 gram per capita in 2010, according to National Socioeconomic Survey (Susenas) data.

On the contrary, coffee consumption has been on the rise, potentially signaling a shift in consumption, as the country'€™s purchasing power has also increased.

Demand for coffee will likely jump 33 percent in the next two years as consumption per capita is expected to surge to 1.54 kilograms from the 1.19 kilograms estimated this year, with coffee output seen peaking to a record high, according to the Indonesian Coffee Exporters and Industries Association (AEKI).

The Agriculture Ministry has a total budget of Rp 1.57 trillion to develop plantations of 12 commodities this year, including tea, spices, cacao and coffee, with only 18.89 percent having been disbursed as of July 11.

Of the total, Rp 1.2 trillion will be for planting programs and other plantation developing programs, according to Gamal.

'€” JP/ Khoirul Amin