Jakarta. The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources announced that coal production declined to 166 million tons between January and May, a 19 percent drop on the same period last year.

Adhi Wibowo, director of coal business development at the ministry, said rainy weather and lower margins for producers due to weak commodity prices contributed to the fall in production.

A total of 135 million tons was produced for export and 31 million tons for the domestic market. The government requires producers to set aside some of their coal to be sold domestically.

This year, the Indonesian government set a target for miners operating in the country of 425 million tons, of which 315 million would be exported and 110 million sold domestically.