The plantation has a coffee roaster in Banaran hamlet, Gemawang village in Jambu district, Semarang. The coffee beans from the plantation are roasted in Banaran. During harvest time, from August to November, about 200 people work at the roaster.
The 350-hectare plantation produces up to 350 metric tons of dried beans in three quality tiers, grades L, M and S. The coffee from Banaran fetches Rp 45,000 (US$3.35) per kilogram, but the prices fluctuate following supply and demand.
This year PTPN IX Semarang projected that 362 tons of dried beans would be produced at the plantation.
“We mostly export the coffee to Italy, some to Japan and South Korea. The rest is for the local market,” said Joyo, an employee at the Banaran coffee roaster.
The factory also grinds coffee and the visitors can see for themselves the whole process, from roasting and grinding to packaging.
PTPN IX also manages Kampoeng Kopi Banaran, a recreation park in Bawen, and Banaran Coffee and Tea, where visitors can taste the coffee. [evi]