Indonesia is one of the oldest coffee growing countries in the world. Arabica coffee was introduced to this country more than three centuries ago, at the turn of the seventeenth century.

And it was a century ago, that Robusta was eventually introduced to Indonesia in 1900, when the Arabica had been almost totally devastated by leaf rust disease.

Only those Arabica growing at elevations of more than 1.000 m above sea level which had survived the leaf disease attack.

Liberica coffee which was earlier introduced to this country in 1875 was also found to be susceptible to the leaf disease.

The introduction of Robusta had apparently helped this country regain its previous position as one of the important coffee growing countries, now producing both Robusta and to a lesser extend Arabica.