The Spur of Papandayan Coffee takes Garut to World Level
Almost every place has its own superior coffee. This includes Garut. Unfortunately, eventough it is has been known worldwide, local farmers cannot process it alone. How is coffee history in Garut? What makes it so popular among foreign tourists? This is the story.
WEST Java is not the biggest industrial region on coffee. Yet, this doesn’t make this region, also known as Paris van Java, shy of coffee production. One of those well-known is Papandayan coffee, famous from Garut.
As shows on its name, these coffees come from Papandayan mount. It has been known worldwide with their Arabican coffee with Geographical Indicator or Indikasi Geografis (IG) Gunung Papandayan.
Head of Bidang Bina Usaha Dinas Perkebunan Kabupaten Garut Sofyan Hamidian said that in Garut, at least there are three mountains with IG marks. Mount Papandayan, Cikuray, and Darajat. But, history has mark the enterance of coffee in Garut is on Mount Kasang in 1889.
”From those three IG listed, Papandayan coffee is very recognizeable these days. Mainly in 2014 has been test cup (flavor taste) which makes this coffee being exported each month,” says Sofyan to Jabar Ekspres, moments ago.
But, this exporting process, as Sofyan admitted, is not done by local farmers in Garut.
”They are another businessman from outside the city”, he added.
Sofyan says that IG Papandayan coffee come from three sub-districts, which are Cisurupan, partial part of Cikajang, and Pamulihan. From these sites, it has produce coffee with excellent taste and different from other places. This has been the cause of cultivating process on mountains with height above 1.000 Above Sea Level. “Also from the effect of volcanic dust when Papandayan exploded”, as he makes it more clearly.
With those two advanteages, the quality of Papandayan has been famous, even worldwide. On 27th July 2016 has been taste-test conducted by SCAE (Speciality Coffe Association Europe) under the chairman Collin Smith.
This result shows wet dry hull of Papandayang coffee with score of 84.2; wet wet hull 84.6; dryproses 85.2. Also, natural proses 86.4; and natural yellow borbon 88.3.
This is the newest results. Before this, he said, there are also test cup in Ciwidey, Kabupaten Bandung. The results are good. With its savour, Papandayan coffee managed to export two tons of green bean coffee to USA on that same year.
”Green bean has Garut identity on it. Because it has been marked on the sack with Garut Java Preanger,” says him.
In details, Kabupaten Garut sedikitnya has around 4.000 acres of coffee plantation with Arabica, Robusta, and Exelsa. But from these three, only two has become focused for farmers and land owners, Arabica and Robusta, its location is spread across several sub-districts.
Head of Bina Produksi Dinas Perkebunan Kabupaten Garut, Haeruman, says Arabica coffee located in 26 sub-districts in Garut. Whilst, Robusta in 37 sub-districts.
He said that, from statistical data in 2014, Arabican has been contributed from 1.438 acres of producing plantation. For Robusta is 536 acres. The rest is either not producing or failed plantations.
“For Arabican farmers in Garut, they plant it on height as low as 700 mteres above seal level and as hish as 1.600 metres. While for Robusta, farmers plant it on low lands according to its variety” Haeruman revealed
He explains that Arabican coffee in Garut is divided in three coffee varieties. Those are Lini S-795, Sigararutan, dan USDA. For Robusta are old variety which has been planted for years and still exist and still been develop by farmers until this day.
“Most favourited Garut coffee is Arabica, especially come from Papandayan, particulary from yellow coffee”, sys him.
”Garut’s Arabican coffee is known worldwide. Like as we can see in exhibition in Norway, our Garut booth has many visitors and a lot of them likes Garut coffee because it taste good in their tounge”, he added.
Recently, he said, there are seven countries visited Garut coffee plantation like Portugal, Italy, Abu Dhabi, Korea, China, Holland, and France. Besides seeing the plantation, they also tasted Papandayan coffee from Bayongbong entrepreneurs and doing flavor test. The result is satisfaction.
“So there are different tastes on Papandayan coffee. It tasted more delicious and tasteful because it planted around Papandayan volcano. Outside regions such as Cikuray, Talaga Bodas and others also have their own coffee, but the superiorir taste comes from Papandayan” says him.
Coffee in garut, Haeruman said, has become superior commodity these days after akar wangi. Coffee farmers are well aware in order to maintain its quality, they have to maintain it preservation. Include the weather.
“We cannot hasitate by using too much chemical fertilizer. Right now we also tries to integrate coffee plantation and goat farming on dry soils”, he explained.
According to him, many of the farmers has ony planted special coffee with only use 30 percent chemical fertilizer and the rest are organic. One example is the farmers in Cisero village, Kecamatan Cisurupan which can produce the Sigagarutang variery which taste more tasteful. (igo/rie)
