Lima, Lampung – There is no such thing as bad publicity – even for a form of coffee bean excreted by a civet cat for human consumption.

Following discussions by Indonesia's main Muslim organizations that a fatwa be placed against luwak coffee, sales of the world's most expensive brew have increased 30 percent, according to one supplier.

Though the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) eventually chose not to impose the religious edict, West Lampung district coffee dealer Wahyudi Santoso said on Monday that the discussions had had a positive impact on the industry.

"The public's response is shown at a fair in Lampung, where people wanted to know more about the... coffee powder making process; the sale of the product increased by up to 70 kilograms, or more than 30 percent," he said.

He said that thanks to talk of the fatwa, coffee business operators had also been encouraged to improve the quality of their product.

Lampung's powdered luwak coffee sells for Rp 750,000 ($84) per kilogram and beans for Rp 200,000 per kilogram. The industry is becoming increasingly important in West Lampung, a local official said. (Antara/JG)