The blooming of millions of flowers in the Wonosalam coffee plantation, arouses a feeling of passion, but also anxiety.
By
IRMA TAMBUNAN
·6 minutes read
Kompas/Irma Tambunan
Business players and lovers of coffee from various regions gather to take part in a series of activities in the coffee tour themed “Coffee for Earth” in Carang Wulung village, Wonosalam district, Jombang regency, East Java, on Sunday (1/10). The local coffee, of the excelsa variety, was presented in a coffee cupping class.
The blooming of millions of flowers in the Wonosalam coffee plantation, Jombang regency, East Java, arouses a feeling of passion, but also anxiety. The flowers have not been blooming for very long, and the rains are getting more frequent, which often has farmers fearing that the flowers may fall to the ground.
“The first month is a critical period,” said Devi Faizah, 39, a coffee farmer in the people’s plantation of Wonosalam, Jombang, last October.
She waits patiently for the fragrant white flowers to turn into coffee fruit. If the weather is favorable, Devi only needs to wait four more months before harvesting the red coffee fruit. However, if rainfall increases and causes the flowers to fall, she would have to face a failed harvest.
Coffee is a livelihood for Devi and hundreds of other Wonosalam coffee farmers. The cultivation of coffee in the area has been developed for over four generations, starting in the Dutch colonial era. Not far from the people’s coffee plantation still stand the remains of an old building that used to be a Dutch coffee processing factory.
Planted across 2,000 hectares of land, there is a full range of coffee varieties at the Wonosalam plantation, includingArabica, Robusta and Excelsa. The three species grow well together in the same field. Furthermore, the coffee grows among various types of plants and hard wood.
The coffee species that are currently blooming are Excelsa and Robusta. After the fruit is harvested at the start of next year, it will be the turn of the Arabica coffee to bloom. The variety of coffee types is good for farmers as it enables them to harvest coffee all year round.
Tour
It is this special feature that farmers use to attract tourists and potential buyers, through a coffee plantation tour the farmers arrange, with the theme “Coffee for Earth”. Devi has managed to partner with coffee market players in Surabaya to provide a coffee plantation tour package, which includes a short barista course, brewing class, cupping class and a roasting course.
Unexpectedly, the coffee plantation and coffee processing tour package garnered a lot of interest. One of the participants, Jeffrey, said it was his first time setting foot on a coffee plantation, despite working with coffee on a daily basis for years in his café Fortunate Coffee in Yogyakarta. The uphill walk toward the people’s coffee plantation located at the top of the hill felt refreshing.
“I feel happy being directly in the field. Looking at the development of coffee from the moment it is planted until it becomes coffee beans ready to be grounded,” he said.
A similar feeling was felt by Dwi, 32, an employee of a coffee exporting firm in Lamongan. “It is like a reminder of the hard work of the farmers,” Dwi said.
Visitors also get the opportunity to taste the local coffee, particularly the Excelsa variety, which is the main coffee of the area. Dwi was increasingly impressed. “The taste is unique, with a jackfruit aroma. An aroma like this is not found in any other type of coffee,” he added.
Not far from where Dwi was sipping his warm coffee, Karsiyem, 50, a local farmer, was sitting roasting coffee beans above a wood-fueled fire. Karsiyem is delighted to be able to greet guests. She hopes they are interested in buying coffee directly from the local farmers. “Our coffees are sold using a bondage system. The price is always low,” he said.
Beyond the global commotion and passion surrounding coffee, Wonosalam shows another, more silent part of the coffee business. While the price of coffee in the global market continues to rise, the price of local farmers’ coffee is struggling to rise. Middlemen buy roasted Arabica coffee for only Rp 26,000 per kilogram. Robusta coffee is bought for Rp 28,000, while the most expensive one is Excelsa at Rp 30,000. The low price of coffee at the farmers level stands in stark contrast to the prices in markets and stores in the nearest cities, such as Surabaya, where the price is usually doubled.
Farmers want to free themselves from the middlemen. However, their restricted financial situation means they would not be able to meet their daily needs. The relationship between farmers and middlemen is like an unbreakable chain.
Devi said the farmers have vowed to try to overcome this unresolved classic problem by finding potential direct buyers. “It is the only thing we can do,” she said.
Kompas/Irma Tambunan
Karsiyem, 52, roasts excelsa coffee beans harvested from her plantation in Carang Wulung village, Wonosalam district, Jombang regency, East Java, on Sunday (1/10). Excelsa coffee is still considered a rarity in the country. Its cultivation needs to be developed in order to enrich the variety of coffee in the archipelago.
Thriving
Wonosalam, which is located at a height of 900 meters above sea level, could be said to be in an “in-between” position. It is too high for the cultivation of the Excelsa species, but too low for the Arabica species. The fact is, however, the three types of coffee grow well there.
For some of the visitors, it is the first time they have heard about Excelsa, as this species of coffee has drowned under the popularity of Arabica and Robusta. Researcher from the Coffee and Cacao Research Center (Puslitkoka), Djoko Soemarno, who was present at the event, was also surprised to learn that Excelsa can grow in Wonosalam. Excelsa is usually only found in the West Tanjung Jabung area, Jambi province, and is more commonly known as Liberica.
Djoko sees great potential for Wonosalam coffee to be recognized in the outside world. However, he thinks the farmers needs assistance to improve their productivity. The thick skin of the Excelsa fruit erodes the volume after it becomes a coffee bean.
In terms of taste, Excelsa is a bit rough on the tongue, which gives the impression that it is not as special as Arabica. However, its distinct jackfruit aroma makes Excelsa unique. The rough taste can be overcome through cultivation or post-harvest processing to reduce its astringent content. “The taste is different, unique. If it is looked after well, Excelsa will be more promising for farmers in terms of volume and coffee quality,” he said.
Coffee for Earth organizer, Yuanita, said the coffee plantation tour gave players in the downstream sector of the coffee industry the opportunity to see the multi-variety Wonosalam coffee plantation directly. It is also hoped that it can push the reforesting coffee campaign.
More importantly in the coffee tour, participants do not just sip coffee. By witnessing the long process of cultivation and post-harvest processing, it is hoped that the world might show more appreciation for the value of coffee at the farmers’ level. It should not be the case that the price of coffee falls at a time when drinking coffee has actually become a trend.
