Coffee Plants, from Economic Value Improvement to Flood Prevention in West Java

"This can be a trigger for our farmers' well-being. The second, it can be for conservation. We encourage people who usually grow seasonal plants on sloping land to now grow conservation plants. One type of conservation plant is the coffee plant," said the Governor of West Java (Jabar) Ahmad Heryawan (Aher) when giving coffee seeds bantuan to 130 farmer groups from 11 districts in West Java, on Monday (27/12/2016).

Aher gave out coffee seeds that had been certified beforehand on 22 December 2016 to the Regent or Head of the Plantation Office of the receiving district in Gedung Pakuan, Bandung City.

A total of two million coffee seeds were distributed by the West Java Provincial Government through the Plantation Office at the end of this year. Bandung District received 457,750 seeds, West Bandung 183,500 seeds, Garut 349,900 seeds, Tasikmalaya 112,500 seeds, Ciamis 52,000 seeds, Majalengka 111,250 seeds, Sumedang 428,100 seeds, Subang 12,000 seeds, Cianjur 113,500 seeds, Sukabumi 84,800 seeds, and Bogor District 94,700 seeds.

Aher added that in the future, development must also be carried out on this type of coffee plant. For example, a coffee plant that is combined with bee keeping.

"There's no coffee honey yet, even though we harvest our coffee twice a year. It would be very good if coffee is then combined with bee keeping to produce honey," Aher said.

Previously, in 2014, the West Java Provincial Government had also given one million coffee seeds to farmer groups in six districts. In 2015, the West Java Provincial Government also gave out two million coffee seeds to 65 farmer groups in 11 districts.

This year, there has also been a 100 percent increase in the number of receiving groups. In 2017, the West Java Provincial Government targeted to distribute five million coffee seeds, so that the total from 2014-2017 would be 10 million coffee seeds.

The coffee distributed this year is a type of superior Arabica coffee with two types of varieties. First, Sigara Lembang coffee seeds can be planted at an altitude of 1,200 meters above sea level (asl). Second, the Lini S795 variety is a type of coffee plant intended to be planted at an altitude of 700 - 1,200 meters asl.

On that occasion, the Head of the Jabat Provincial Plantation Office, Arief Santosa, was also present and explained that activities like this can improve productivity, the quality of the plant yield, and the competitiveness of its products.

Not only planting, but it must also be supported by good cultivation techniques by providing the right production facilities in accordance with the implementation of a good farm management system.

With the addition of 2 million tree seeds, it is estimated that the area of coffee plants in West Java will be 37,265 hectares. Meanwhile, the potential land suitable for coffee plants in West Java can reach 50,000 or a maximum of 200,000 hectares.

To support the achievement of the potential land area, the central government will budget Rp 280 billion for the conservation of the Citarum and Cimanuk river upstream areas.

"The Central Government has a program to conserve the Citarum and Cimanuk areas. As far as I know, there is Rp 280 billion in funds provided by the 2017 State Budget for the conservation of these areas," Aher said after the event.

Aher also said that the people and government should be able to make good use of the State Budget, "Hopefully, when we want to regreen, re-conserve the upstream Citarum and Cimanuk areas, through conservation. And at the same time there is economic value, namely the coffee plant," he added.

Coffee plants can provide benefits to conservation areas. Coffee can be planted interspersed with conservation plants, which are usually standing plants.

In addition to being able to increase the economic value of the West Java community, coffee plants can be a way to preserve the forest, improve water absorption, and reduce flooding.