The unique flavor of the coffee varieties found in the Indonesian archipelago has attained global fame, but many problems persist.
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Kompas/Heru Sri Kumoro
A panel discussion on “Restoring the Glory of Nusantara Coffee” held by Kompas daily in Jakarta on Monday (6/11). The event was attended by Indonesian Coffee and Cocoa Research Institute (ICCRI) head Misnawi, historian and The Road of Java Coffee author Prawoto Indarto, Adi Taroepratjeka of Coffee Lab Bandung, Agriculture Ministry fresh produce sub-directorate head Hendratmojo Bagus, Specialty Coffee Association of Indonesia (SCAI) patron Tuti Mochtar and PT Kopi Kapal Api Global executive Adi Haryono, among others.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS – The unique flavor of the coffee varieties found in the Indonesian archipelago has attained global fame, but many problems persist in the industry’s upstream and downstream sectors. All relevant stakeholders must work together to boost the commodity not only domestically, but also globally.
Such was the conclusion reached during Kompas’ “Restoring the Glory of Nusantara Coffee” discussion, held in Jakarta on Monday (6/11). The event was attended by historian and author of The Road of Java Coffee, Prawoto Indarto; Indonesian Coffee and Cocoa Research Institute (ICCRI) head Misnawi; Agriculture Ministry fresh produce sub-directorate head Hendratmojo Bagus; Specialty Coffee Association of Indonesia (SCAI) board of management member Daroe Handoyo; SCAI patron Tuti Mochtar; 5758 Coffee Lab owner Adi Wicaksono; PT Kapal Api Global executive Adi Haryono, Santos Jaya Abadi director Paulus Nugroho; as well as several other coffee observers.
Prawoto said that Indonesian coffee had been traded worldwide since the 18th century, when the Dutch colonial administration introduced coffee cultivation to the archipelago. Indonesia had long been known as a country that has the most varieties of specialty coffee. In the past four years, the world had seen an increasing number of coffee enthusiasts, and they enjoyed their coffee as though tasting art. Coffee lovers were encouraged to explore new flavors of coffee.
Coffee products from different regions have different and unique characteristics. “Indonesia is known as the country with the largest number of specialty coffees. This is a challenge. [People who run coffee businesses] should not have to fight each another,” Prawoto Indarto said.
Multiple problems
Nevertheless, numerous problems impede the growth of the Indonesian coffee trade, both domestically and globally. First, many stakeholders work separately to implement their programs. The productivity and consistence in the quality of coffee are low. Assistance for coffee farmers and coffee businesses often did not reach its intended target.
“Examples include the provision of 10-ton coffee roasting machines that farmers could never use,” Adi Wicaksono said.
Adi Haryono added that the government should give serious attention to coffee plantations. In many regions, irrigation needed to be improved to ensure the availability of water, and roads needed to be repaired to support the transportation of coffee. If relevant stakeholders put their minds to these issues, he believed that the quality of Indonesian coffee would improve.
He continued that, apart from infrastructure issues, farmers’ skills and capacity should also be improved. Training on the proper cultivation methods for coffee and financial management must be provided. Financial knowledge was important, as it would help farmers in creating long-term business plans and in accessing funds.
“The potential of Indonesian coffee is huge. When farmers have adequate knowledge, Indonesian coffee will be able to compete continuously with coffees from around the world,” Adi said.
Bagus said that his sub-directorate found 13 problems in the upstream and downstream sectors of the coffee industry, including the prevalence of unproductive, ageing coffee plants, poor quality of human resources, climate anomalies, limited support for innovative programs and not enough plantations.
Currently, 1.23 million hectares of coffee plantations in the country produce 639,412 tons of coffee. Domestic coffee productivity remains low at 707 kilograms per hectare. This is far below Vietnam’s productivity of 2 tons per hectare. Indonesia is the fourth largest coffee-producing country in the world.
Bagus said the Agriculture Ministry had created a road map for national coffee development that targeted making Indonesia the largest coffee producer in the world by 2045. Expanding plantations was one of the strategies.
The ICCRI, Misnawi said, had implemented a special strategy to mitigate the effects of climate change. The institute had superior seeds that could withstand extreme weather conditions. ICCRI also provided training for farmers on plantation management and producing quality coffee.
