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Jakarta Post

Banaran coffee, a legendary century-old tale

Tue, November 15, 2016   /   10:49 am
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    Women pick coffee cherries at the Assinan Plantation of PT Perkebunan Negara IX in Semarang regency, Central Java. The harvest period will last until October at the 352-hectare plantation, which is projected to produce 350 metric tons. The coffee is exported to Italy, Japan and South Korea. JP/Suherdjoko

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    Women sort coffee cherries at the Assinan Plantation of PT Perkebunan Negara IX in Semarang regency. JP/ Suherdjoko

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    Workers weigh their picks in Assinan Plantation in Semarang, Central Java. Each worker gets Rp 500 per kilogram. JP/Suherdjoko

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    A worker turns over coffee beans that have been peeled off the pulp to make sure the dryness is distributed at the Banaran coffee roaster in Semarang, Central Java. JP/Suherdjoko

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    Workers sort coffee beans and categorize them into three main grades: large, medium and small. The three main grades are for export and the rest will be sold at the lowest price. JP/Suherdjoko

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    Workers sort coffee beans and categorize them into three main grades: large, medium and small. The three main grades are for export and the rest will be sold at the lowest price. JP/Suherdjoko

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    After manual sorting, the last sorting process involves a sifter to filter the coffee size according to the grades at the Banaran coffee roaster in Semarang, Central Java. JP/Suherdjoko

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    The beans are roasted and later ground. To monitor the roasting process in Banaran coffee roaster in Semarang, Central Java, the workers measure the roasting process using a tool. JP/Suherdjoko

If you are a coffee lover, your resume is not complete if you haven’t tasted Banaran coffee from Semarang regency in Central Java.

Banaran coffee plantation, called Getas plantation, produces mostly Robusta although it has Arabica as well. It was started in 1898 by Dutch company Fa. H.G.Th. Crone, based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and the name of the Dutch Indies company was CO Getas (Cultur Onderneming Getas), based in Semarang. Now, the plantation is owned by PT Perkebunan Nusantara IX (PTPN IX).

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]