Farmers sun dry Arabica coffee seeds in Jagara village, Jayawijaya regency, in August 2016.
WAMENA, KOMPAS – A number of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) will work together to develop Wamena’s Arabica coffee into a quality commodity that can be exported. Planned efforts include funding, training for farmers and post-harvest processing assistance.
State-Owned Enterprises Ministry deputy minister for mining, strategic industry and media Fajar Harry Sampurno made the statement during an interview in Jayapura, Papua, on Thursday (24/8/2017).
Fajar said the SOEs involved in the Wamena Arabica coffee development program in Papua’s Jayawijaya regency included cement manufacturer PT Semen Indonesia, lender Bank Mandiri and trading firm PT Perusahaan Perdagangan Indonesia (PPI).
“These SOEs will prepare human resources to oversee Arabica coffee cultivation and prepare vehicles for transporting harvested coffee from the plantation to the trader in Jagara hamlet, Wamena. PPI will market the product outside Wamena,” Fajar said.
According to Fajar, the ministry will also prepare a facility called the SOE Creative House at Bank Mandiri’s Wamena branch as well as an Arabica coffee shop. “Bank Mandiri will provide guidance and funding for local businesspeople with potential for selling Arabica coffee,” he said.
Previously, in an interview following a visit to farmers at a coffee processing center in Jagara hamlet, SOE Minister Rini Soemarno said the ministry was committed to realizing a cross-SOE synergy that would help export large volumes of Wamena coffee.
“We will prepare the infrastructure to help farmers increase production. The Arabica coffee in Wamena has high potential for becoming a superior product, as it is of good quality and utilizes organic planting techniques,” Rini said.
Improving welfare
Jayawijaya Regent John Wempi Wetipo said he appreciated the ministry’s effort in improving the welfare of local coffee farmers. The farmers had faced unfair treatment thus far, as middlemen often purchased their coffee beans at low prices.
“Middlemen bought roasted coffee beans at under Rp 100,000 (US$7.49) per kilogram, even though the price for Arabica coffee beans in Jakarta can reach Rp 300,000 per kilogram.
John added that his administration had also launched its Coffee Planting Movement (Gertak) program in 40 districts. “There is still low awareness among farmers to expand their coffee plantations. One kampong can develop up to 100 hectares of coffee plantations. Therefore, the Gertak movement is hoped to be able to improve the volume of our coffee harvests,” he said.
Data from the Papua Plantation Agency said that Jayawijaya had 10,067 hectares of Arabica coffee plantations in 2016. However, only 4,584 hectares were productive, with a total production volume of 2,009 tons. The regency has 9,212 Arabica farmers.
Papua Plantation Agency’s harvest processing and marketing head Sri Kusbianti said that the lack of seriousness among local farmers in developing Wamena coffee was among the reasons behind the minimal production and plantation expansion for Arabica coffee.
“The management of coffee plants is still very simple. Farmers also find it difficult to sell the beans at a good price. Because of the economic condition, they are forced to sell their coffee beans to middlemen at only Ro 10,000 per kilogram,” said Sri.
She said that the agency was completing construction of a coffee production warehouse in Jagara hamlet, which began in 2016. “The warehouse will be outfitted with a coffee bean skinning machine and roaster. There will also be a machine to grind and package ground coffee. The construction of the coffee production warehouse will be completed this year,” Sri said.
