The sun starts to shed the magnificence of the light in the morning. The warmth of the beam reveals mist blankets that have since overnight falls in the western region of the Mt. Bromo slope, Taji village, Jabung District, Malang Regency. Decit’s sounds of the game’s Kambang’s footstep climbs down the slope towards the coffee garden behind her home. For the nephecy, Kambang will start a coffee harvest of Arabica.
There are three types of coffee plants planted in Taji village, Arabica, Robusta and Liberica. The height of 1.200 mdpl makes Arabica coffee tree grows with lush. So also with Robusta coffee tree. Although the ideal Robusta is planted in the area with a height of less than 1,000 mdpl, it turns out that this type of coffee tree is able to bear heavy and have a distinctive taste.
The distinctive feature of the Taji village coffee is the aroma and taste of the coffee feels softer and there is a little taste of the Javanese acid. In addition to the influence of the height, the nutrient elements in the village of Taji become one of the factors that make the taste of coffee in the village are unique and weakened.
View at the slope of Mt. Bromo in Taji village, Jabung, Malang, East Java.
The motor driver crosses the road to Taji village, Jabung, Malang, East Java.
Taji village is already known as one of the best Java kaffa or Java Coffee producers of Arabica with a distinctive taste since Dutch colonial hours. In that time, Taji village is used as a coffee plantation centra. But in 1990 the whole coffee tree in Taji village was actually blessed. This is because locals are reconciliably switching to plant vegetables.
Switch the farmers plant vegetables does not bring a change that means for locals. Taji village remains the left village. The peak in 2010 happened a large longsor in the village and made the village insulated. The hilly area is cooled into its cause.
Then, in 2011, a member of Chapterinsa Koramil Jabung Serka Heri Purnomo strives to convince and streamline communities to do reboization with the purpose of holding the rate of rainwater at the slope so that it does not occur the longsor again while reviveting the legend of the Taji Coffee. Gayung also welcomes, citizens begin reboization by planting back the coffee tree.
Serka Heri Purnomo (right) discussed with coffee farmers and research students from Brawijaya University in the coffee land in Taji village.
Petani shows coffee seedlings that are located from seeds.
In the following years of coffee reboization continues. The tens of thousands of coffee trees are allowed to the village of Taji from the community’s civil society and donations from the local agricultural department. Moreover, as many farmers are also invited to study the banding to the coffee districts to deeper the field of coffee. The farmers know about coffee. Starting from the selection of seedling varieties, planting up to the treatment stage until the process of typing or harvesting. Even knowledge about soaking, skin resting and seeds, sunbathing to the process is supplied as well.
Since then the quality and production of coffee in Taji village increases. In 2023 the production of coffee in the village of Taji reached 4.5 tons per year from the area of coffee land reaches 85 hectares spread throughout the village. Planted varieties seeds are also diverse. In addition, farmers also set up a café that sells coffee processed beverages in the form of green bean or roasted bean or coffee beans that are supplied. Even from the production of coffee can be exported to Singapore, Australia and Malaysia with Taji Coffee labels and Babinsa Coffee.
Meanwhile, from the coffee land there is a farmers to make coffee education tourism through learning tours about nursery, planting to coffee processing. In addition to farmers also establish a relationship with Perhutani to take advantage of the forest as a coffee land with the system for the results.
Kambang harvested coffee type Arabica grown in the slope of Mt. Bromo in Taji village, Jabung, Malang.
Petani picked coffee type Arabica red or red cherry.
The economy level in Taji village is now improved. Many tourist visits are mainly coffee lovers bring positive impact. Infrastructure has also changed. The streets in the village are built and spread to facilitate access. Some awards are also achieved from the achievements of youth in the village. Starting from the best coffee flavor, get recognition as a flagship barista to get an award as a national level pioneer youth.
Photo and text : Ari Bowo Sucipto
Kolase photo portraits of coffee farmers in Taji village.
Petani did the process of coffee sunbathing in the roof of his home.
The coffee sprinkle min under the sun at its home page.
Pramusaji is preparing to open Kafe Lereng Bromo in Taji village, Jabung, Malang.
Barista brews coffee order customers at Kafe Lereng Bromo in Taji village, Jabung, Malang.
Pramuniaga adheres to the Taji Coffee products and the Babinsa Coffee are processed in the form of a lemongrass or roasted bean.
Pramusaji served coffee processed beverages at Kafe Lereng Bromo.
Editor : Prasetyo Utomo
