Lembang arabica enters Saudi market with first four-ton shipment
Tonas Kopi has shipped four tonnes of pineapple-fermented green arabica from Lembang to Saudi Arabia in a transaction worth about Rp800 million. The Riyadh buyer initially requested 25 tonnes, exposing a significant gap between overseas demand and the producer’s current capacity.
First shipment follows buyer trials
Arabica coffee from Mount Tangkuban Parahu in Lembang, West Bandung Regency, has entered the Saudi Arabian market through an initial shipment of four tonnes of green beans. According to ANTARA and Koran Jakarta, the transaction was valued at about Rp800 million and involved coffee fermented with pineapple fruit.
The export followed product testing by a buyer in Riyadh. Dikdik Ramdaniansyah, manager of Tonas Kopi and a coffee farmer, said the company sent five samples made with different processing methods. The buyer selected the pineapple-fermented coffee, establishing the specification for the first commercial delivery.
The shipment was supplied by Kopi Poctan Arjuna under the Tonas Coffee product name. The breakthrough gives a small West Java producer access to a market beyond Indonesia while also testing whether demand for differentiated processing can support a continuing sales channel rather than a single consignment.
Capacity limits a 25-tonne order
The Riyadh buyer’s initial request was for 25 tonnes, but Tonas Kopi agreed to supply only four tonnes in the first stage. Ramdaniansyah attributed the shortfall to limited production capacity and insufficient raw materials, particularly the availability of coffee cherries.
The delivered volume therefore represented only 16% of the original request. For the producer, the remaining gap is a clear commercial opportunity, but it also shows that securing an overseas buyer does not automatically translate into the ability to execute a full order. Consistent cherry supplies, processing capacity and quality control will determine whether subsequent Saudi shipments can be expanded.
Tonas Kopi currently absorbs about 50 tonnes of coffee from farmers in Cibodas village. The company says that volume would not be enough if export demand increases. It is targeting a twofold to threefold expansion in production capacity and projects that its raw-material requirement will rise to more than 100 tonnes.
Public agencies support market access
West Bandung’s local government facilitated the development of Lembang coffee through cooperation with small and medium-sized businesses, farmers, Bank Indonesia, Customs and Excise, and the West Java provincial government. Deputy Regent Asep Ismail said the collaboration was intended to improve the competitiveness of local products.
The government-backed effort connects farm-level supply with processing, export procedures and buyer development. For Lembang growers, the Saudi order creates a potential outlet for additional cherries, although the benefits will depend on Tonas Kopi’s ability to expand procurement without weakening the characteristics that secured buyer approval.
West Bandung officials also identified Japan as a possible next destination, with exports hoped for next year. No order volume, buyer or transaction value for Japan was disclosed. The immediate priority remains fulfilling more of the Saudi demand and building a supply base capable of supporting repeat deliveries from Lembang.
