The collaboration of Suntory and PTPN gave Suntory access to one of the largest plantation holdings in Indonesia with commercial and operational excellence
PT Perkebunan Nusantara (PTPN) Group, in collaboration with PT Suntory Garuda Beverage, has successfully embarked on its maiden export of Oolong tea to Vietnam for Suntory Pepsico Vietnam Beverage. This milestone marks the beginning of a strategic collaboration between the two corporations to supply high-quality raw materials for ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages across Asia.
The collaboration of Suntory and PTPN gave Suntory access to one of the largest plantation holdings in Indonesia with commercial and operational excellence. PTPN stood to benefit from Suntory’s global know-how and world-renowned expertise as a manufacturer of beverages, especially oolong tea by committing to follow sustainable agricultural methods and adhering to international quality standards to ensure the excellence of the product
Oolong tea, known for its unique characteristics and smooth flavour, was carefully selected as the export commodity in response to market demand. Dwi Sutoro, the Marketing Director of PTPN Group, emphasised the company’s commitment to producing market-oriented tea products. “This is our first experience in producing Oolong tea. We ventured into this production due to specific market demands, and we have the expertise to develop all types of tea according to buyers’ requests,” he stated.
PTPN Group manages over 23,000 hectares of tea plantations in Indonesia, making it one of the largest tea plantation companies globally, with an annual production capacity of 50,000 tons or accounting for 40 per cent of the national production. Apart from Oolong tea, PTPN Group also offers black tea (orthodox and CTC), green tea, and white tea. The company owns several retail tea brands, including Nusakita, Walini, Teh Kayu Aro, Goalpara, Rollas, Kaligua, Gunung Dempo, Semugih, and Tobasari.
The export of Oolong tea to Vietnam will be utilised by Suntory to create ready-to-drink products in the Asian market. Suntory, a Japanese consumer packaged goods company established in 1923, is renowned for its leading packaged beverage brands such as TEA+, Ribena, and Okky Jelly Drink.
Neeraj Kumar Goyal, CEO of Suntory Garuda Beverage, emphasised the importance of using high-quality raw materials. “At Suntory, we are always striving to employ better and more innovative methods to cater to various tastes and healthy lifestyles worldwide,” Neeraj said. “Our partnership with PTPN is part of our commitment to share our global know-how to ensure high-quality products to our consumers.”
