A Canadian and Indonesian government trade program has helped Acehnese coffee producers secure US$2.6 million in trade deals to supply several roasters and importers in Canada.

The Trade Ministry’s exports director, Arlinda, said in a statement on Friday that the program highlighted a plantation tour in the coffee-producing town of Takengon, Central Aceh, in an effort to build consumer trust with Canadian buyers.

“The plantation tour showed the buyers that gayo coffee is top quality,” she said as reported by kompas.com.

Arlinda was referring to Acehnese gayo, a distinct Arabica-type coffee revered for its strong-bodied and complex flavors. The variety is one of Indonesia’s most well-known single-origin coffees aside from Toraja and Wamena.

She added that, outside of the trade deal, the Canada-Indonesia Trade and Private Sector Assistance (TPSA) program, which is a joint effort between the Trade Ministry and Canadian Global Affairs Department, had helped Indonesia secure up to $4 million in direct exports to Canada and the United States.

She expected that direct export value would double to $8 million by the end of the five-year trade program in 2020.

The TPSA team, which is composed of Indonesian and Canadian members, has repeatedly expressed an interest in boosting Indonesian coffee export to Canada. (brf)