COFFEE GAYO

Coffee Gayo is an arabica coffee variety which is one of the leading commodities originating from the Gayo Highlands, Central Aceh, Indonesia. He has received Fair Trade Certified™ from the Fair Trade International Organization on 27 May 2010, Kopi gayo received the IG (Geographical Indication) certificate submitted by the Ministry of Law and Human Rights of the Republic of Indonesia. Then at the Indonesian Coffee Special Auction Event on October 10, 2010 in Bali, again Gayo Arabica coffee got the highest rank during the cupping score. These certifications and achievements have further strengthened Gayo Coffee's position as the world's best organic coffee.

This coffee plantation, which has been developed since 1908, thrives in Bener Meriah Regency, Central Aceh and a small part of the Gayo Lues area. These three areas, which are located at an altitude of 1200 m above sea level, have the largest coffee plantations in Indonesia, which is around 81,000 hectares. Each of the 42,000 hectares is in Bener Meriah Regency, the rest (39,000 hectares) in Central Aceh Regency. Gayo people work as coffee farmers with the dominance of Arabica varieties. Arabica coffee production from Tanah Gayo is the largest in Asia.

The spread of coffee plants to Indonesia was brought by a Dutchman in the 17th century who obtained Arabica mocca beans from Arabia to Batavia (Jakarta). The Arabica coffee was first grown and developed in the Jatinegara area, Jakarta, using the private land of Kesawung which is now better known as Pondok Kopi. The subsequent spread of the coffee plant also reached the Gayo Highlands, Central Aceh Regency. From the Dutch colonial period until now, gayo coffee in particular has become the main livelihood of the majority of the Gayo community and has even become the only center of export quality coffee plants in the Central Aceh region. In addition, archaeological evidence in the form of remnants of a coffee drying factory during the Dutch colonial period in Wih Porak Village, Silih Nara District, Central Aceh has provided clarity that coffee has in the past been an important economic commodity.

The presence of Dutch power in Gayo Land in 1904 was immediately followed by the presence of other immigrants. At that time the Central Aceh region was made onder afdeeling Nordkus Atjeh with Sigli as its capital. On the other hand, the presence of the Dutch has also given a new life by opening plantations, one of which is a coffee plantation in Gayo Land (at an altitude of 1,000 - 1,700 m above sea level).

Before coffee was introduced to the Gayo Highlands, tea and pepper plants were introduced. According to the Dutch agricultural expert JH Heyl in his book entitled Pepercultuur in Atjeh, he explained that the origin of pepper plants was brought from Mandagaskar (East Africa) in the VII or VIII century to Aceh (Zainuddin, 1961:264). Unfortunately the two plants did not receive serious attention from the colonial government. In the end, the Dutch introduced and opened the first coffee plantation covering an area of ​​100 ha in 1918 in the Belang Gele area, which now belongs to the Bebesen District, Central Aceh. In addition to the opening of plantation land, in 1920 a new village of Gayo people appeared around the Dutch coffee plantation, and in 1925-1930 they opened a new history by opening people's coffee plantations. The opening was based on the knowledge obtained by the farmers because they were neighbors with the Dutch plantation. By the end of 1930 four villages had been established around the Dutch garden in Belang Gele, namely Belang Gele, Atu Gajah, Paya Sawi, and Pantan Peseng villages (Melalatoa, 2003:51).

One of the archaeological evidences related to this coffee commodity is the discovery of the remains of a coffee drying factory (coffee beans) near the Baitul Makmur Mosque, Wih Porak Village, Silih Nara, Central Aceh, Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam Province (Susilowati, 2007). Astronomically located at 040 36640′ North Latitude and 0960 45660′ East Longitude (47 N 0251594 UTM 0510018). The former coffee drying factory occupies a land measuring 110 m x 60 m, part of which has now become the land of the Darul Uini Integrated Islamic Boarding School. On the land there are remnants of buildings in the form of foundations, remnants of building walls, former waterwheels, and several ponds where the coffee drying process is carried out.

The location of the waterwheel is marked with 3 walls with a thickness of 15 cm, a height of about 2 m and on the upper surface there are found 2 iron bolts each, which are thought to be the place for the windmill to rest. Near the former location of the waterwheel, there are two ponds where coffee is processed, one of which is about 2.65 m long, 2.33 m wide and 1.25 m high. In the south there is a water channel that leads to the pond in the south. In addition, there is also a former wall of the coffee grain drying pond in the southernmost part after the water channel wall. On the former wall of the pool there is still a drainage hole in the north. After the independence period the factory was abandoned, then around the 1960s until 1979 the factory was once managed by PNP I, then its ownership moved to PT Ala Silo and finally the land is now owned by the Plantation Service of the District Government. Central Aceh.

In the second half of the 1950s, the Gayo people started to grow coffee. In that period the forests were cleared to become coffee plantations. In 1972 Central Aceh Regency was recorded as the largest coffee producer compared to other districts in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam Province. The area of ​​coffee plantations in Central Aceh Regency in 1972 was 19,962 ha. Coffee plantations for residents of Bener Meriah Regency (a division of Central Aceh Regency) and Central Aceh Regency are the most prominent economic arteries, apart from trading vegetables such as cabbage/cabbage, carrots, chilies, and chocolate. As an export commodity, 27,953 families in Central Aceh depend on coffee cultivation with an area of ​​46,392 ha, and an average of 720.7 kg/ha/year (BPS Kab. Aceh Tengah 2005:144-145). The protracted conflict caused at least 6,440 ha of coffee fields to be abandoned and 5,037 families lost their jobs.

After the conflict subsided and the RI-GAM peace agreement was signed at the end of 2005, coffee farmers are now starting to dare to grow crops in coffee plantations located far on the slopes of the mountain, not just growing coffee in their yards. The selling price of coffee, although influenced by world coffee prices, is relatively stable and continues to strengthen because the trade route between Takengon - Bireun - Lhoksemauwe - Medan can be traversed by transport vehicles without major risks. Now, coffee plantation activities are starting to bounce back and have now become the backbone of the economy in the districts of Central Aceh, Bener Meriah and Gayo Lues.