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The Three C’s Harmony

Diperbarui: 24 Juni 2015   03:52

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This article is about highland area of Simalungun District, North Sumatra Province.The area comprises at least three subdistricts, namely: Sidamanik, Pamatangsidamanik, and Dolok Pardamean.The distance from Pematangsiantar to the three subdistricts is about 25, 30, 35 km, respectively.In these areas, we find three locations of state plantation which managed tea (Camelia sinensis) commodity.The plantations are Bah Butong, Sidamanik, and Tobasari.Tea or Camelia plantation is the first C in this harmony.

If we have visited to the area, we meet the tea plantation on the right and left sides of the main road.In the surrounding of the plantation, nearly to the main road, we find several locations of cluster community, such as: Sait Buttu, Sinaman, and Manik Saribu.Next, if we enter to right or left sides of the plantation, and have done a travelling about 2 until 4 km, we are going to find many community settlements in more than 10 villages or hamlets.Apart of the villages and the hamlets are Manik Huluan, Afdeling C, Afdeling D, Simantin,and Silikkit.The Community in the villages and the hamlets is the second C, and the main component of the harmony.

Until this, you maybe still don’t understand about the theme of my paper.Therefore, please let me continue my presentation.

Most of the people in the village and hamlet are working as farmer.The main commodity that managed by them is arabica coffee.In other words, the main job of most of the people is coffee farming.Arabica Coffee in this harmony is third C.The arabica coffee from this area has been known as a reputable specialty coffee in the global market.The coffee is part of reputable brand, Mandheling Coffee, one of the best coffee around the world.

So, what’s problem about this coffee?

Firstly, the productivity of coffee farming is relative low.The productivity is only about 50 to 60% compared with its potency.The main cause of this problem is less application of the good agricultural practices (GAP), such as lack of both chemical and organic fertilizer, lack of coffee pruning, and just a few farmers doing the control insect of coffee berry borer (CBB).

Secondly, although this coffee has reputable brand, in general the quality is also relative low compared with other regions.The cause low quality relates to harvest and post harvest handling.Coffee quality is determined by picking-up red cherry only, separating cherry of CBB infestation, consistent fermentation and others activities of semi-wash processing.In addition, coffee farming system in general is sun coffee or without shade tree.Moreover, most of the farmers are manuring coffee plant by the chemical fertilizer than organic fertilizer.

Since several years ago, there are many institutions who care to the coffee farmers.Parts of them are IFC and the USAID-AMARTA.They have been conducting a set of coffee training about GAP, spesially ecological aspects.The result of the training obtained a certified coffee, that is CAFE Practices and Utz Kapeh.But two foreign NGO’scan cover a few farmers only.And it is not optimal to empower community around the plantation area.Besides that, sometimes, the Local Office of the Estate Crop is also conducting several training and/or field-school funded by regional budget.

The training conducting by them is only empowering the people in knowledge side.Until now, there is almost no effort to assit the farmer in the farm credit.Based on this situation, I propose a new mechanism which coffee farmers can obtain directly annual fee as corporate social responsibility from the state plantation mentioned above.If this can be implemented, the fund must be used to increase coffee productivity and quality through GAP application.The distribution of the fund can be conducted by the local government or establish an ad hoc team that comprise of coffee stakeholders.

I think, this is one of the many logic efforts to empower human resources, especially coffee farmers, around the tea plantation area. Of course, there are many others efforts to improve the harmony.One of them is still retaining tea commodity and not convert to palm oil.In fact, some sites of Bah Butong tea plantation has been replanted by palm oil.Whereas, according to some empirical studies, tea plantation is more suitable to support ecological and social sustainability.Palm oil plantation is predicted to give a negative impact to coffee quality in its surrounding.

Finally, all of us, specially to local government and management of state plantation, please care and support coffee farmers more seriously.The Three C’s Harmony, I and we hope, can empower the farmers and in turns increse their income and welfare. **




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