Kunming (ANTARA) - Coffee packets adorned with images of Asian\nelephants lined up on one side, whilst rows of coffee trees bearing\nstill-green cherries stood on the other.<\/p>\n
On Saturday (12\/9), more than 20 village officials from Indonesia\nwalked among the coffee trees at the Puteng Coffee Plantation in\nChengganhe Village, Puwen, Jinghong City, in southwest China\u2019s Yunnan\nProvince. They observed coffee processing, discussed cultivation\ntechniques, sampled coffee, and explored potential cooperation between\nrural industries in both countries.<\/p>\n
Adamal Tampubolon, the village head of Hutagodang in North Sumatra\nProvince, stood in front of a packet of specialty coffee.<\/p>\n
He picked up the packet, carefully examining the Asian elephant\ndesign on the packaging, then walked towards the coffee trees and bent\ndown to inspect the coffee cherries peeking out from the dense foliage.\nFrom time to time, Adamal exchanged glances with local staff about\ncultivation methods.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur village was severely affected by the floods in Sumatra last\nyear, and our houses suffered heavy damage. At the moment, we are\nrebuilding,\u201d said Adamal Tampubolon.<\/p>\n
Although the floods disrupted the lives of local residents, the\ncoffee trees on the hills survived. He came to China hoping to see how\ncoffee-growing communities in Yunnan transform coffee beans into\nhigher-value products, and to bring that experience back to his village\nto help farmers increase the added value of their coffee and regain\nconfidence in developing the industry.<\/p>\n
At the Puteng Coffee Plantation, the journey from coffee bean to cup\ncan be seen at every stage. Fresh coffee cherries are processed and\nroasted before being made into espresso, flavoured instant coffee, and\ncoffee-flavoured alcoholic beverages. At the processing facility,\nstandardised production procedures and a closed-loop water recycling\nsystem operate smoothly, with wastewater treated and recycled.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are also very interested in washed coffee processing, wastewater\ntreatment, and sustainable development. This is an experience worth\nbringing home,\u201d said Mulyadin Malik, head of the Development and\nInformation Agency (BPI) for Villages and Disadvantaged Regions at the\nMinistry of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions (Kemendes\nPDT).<\/p>\n
The company currently imports a quantity of coffee beans from abroad\nand also purchases beans cultivated by farmers in surrounding villages\nfor processing. Going forward, the company hopes to bring more\nhigh-quality Indonesian coffee beans to the Chinese market.<\/p>\n
As he tasted the espresso, Malik nodded repeatedly, showing his\ninterest in Yunnan\u2019s coffee industry chain, which links cultivation with\nprocessing.<\/p>\n
\u201cIndonesia has many different types of coffee, each with its own\ncharacteristics. Luwak coffee, for instance, is a distinctive product,\nand coffee produced in villages can be of very good quality. However,\nthe packaging is not attractive enough, making it difficult to sell at a\ngood price,\u201d said Malik.<\/p>\n
He hoped the visit would help them learn how Yunnan develops coffee\npackaging, branding, and marketing, so that high-quality coffee can be\nsold at better prices.<\/p>\n
Daodelong, general manager of Puteng Trading Co., Ltd., had\npreviously visited Indonesia to study the Indonesian coffee industry and\nwas deeply impressed by the quality of Indonesian coffee beans and the\ndiligence of the farmers who cultivated them.<\/p>\n
On the day of the visit to the Puteng Coffee Plantation, Daodelong\nand Tampubolon reached a preliminary cooperation agreement to bring\nIndonesian coffee beans to the Chinese market for further processing in\nYunnan.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the future, there will be coffee products that blend the flavours\nof Indonesia and China,\u201d said Daodelong.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf farmers produce separately, it will be difficult to maintain\nprice stability or build a strong brand,\u201d said Tampubolon.<\/p>\n
After returning home, he hopes to encourage more coffee farmers to\ncooperate through village-level organisations, strengthen their\nbargaining power, and develop their own coffee brands.<\/p>\n
Yunnan is China\u2019s largest coffee-producing province. After years of\ndevelopment, the province has built a complete coffee industry chain\ncovering nurseries, cultivation, processing, and sales, whilst\ncontinuously increasing the proportion of specialty coffee and processed\ncoffee products.<\/p>\n
Puwen is located in the northern part of Jinghong City. With its cool\nwinters, mild summers, and relatively large temperature differences\nbetween day and night, Puwen provides favourable conditions for arabica\ncoffee cultivation. In recent years, Puwen has promoted integrated\ndevelopment encompassing plantations, processing, marketing, tourism,\nand coffee culture.<\/p>\n
According to local data, Puwen has coffee plantations covering 34,790\nmu (approximately 2,319 hectares), producing around 26,500 tonnes of\nfresh coffee cherries each year, with a total output value of about 480\nmillion yuan (1 yuan = IDR 2,624).<\/p>\n
As they prepared to leave the plantation, the Indonesian village\nofficials were still reluctant to depart. Some bent down to observe the\ncoffee cherries on the trees, some studied the coffee packaging, whilst\nothers discussed processing techniques.<\/p>\n
Coffee grown in different countries and regions carries flavours\nshaped by different landscapes and growing conditions. Yet here in the\nmountains of Yunnan, a single coffee bean has become a new vehicle for\nexchange. From sharing cultivation experiences to exchanging processing\ntechnology and exploring market cooperation, coffee industries separated\nby thousands of kilometres are gradually drawing closer through a\ntangible and increasingly connected industry chain.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesian-village-heads-study-coffee-processing-in-yunnan-1789444475", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }