KUCHING: With the Sarawak government’s efforts in putting its home-grown Liberica coffee on the world map, interested growers are encouraged to take up this opportunity to venture into coffee planting industry.
Not sure where to begin? Worry not, the Department of Agriculture of Sarawak is here to assist you.
According to the department’s Miri divisional agriculture officer, Jackson Nanta, those who wish to learn how to grow Liberica, can always visit the nearest agriculture department throughout the state.
“We do provide training for our growers (farmers) where they learn the proper way of growing Liberica under the Crop Development Programme,” he told New Sarawak Tribune, when met at the closing of the Borneo Coffee Symposium at Kuching Old Courthouse, yesterday.
He said under the programme which started in 2016, Liberica seedlings would be given to the growers, including fertiliser and other farming material.
“Throughout Sarawak there are more than 250 farmers growing Liberica now.
“In Miri alone there are 111 farmers who work on 95 per cent of the total area planted with Liberica in the state,” he said.
He added from time to time the officers from the agriculture department would visit the farms, and provide advice on how to look after the trees the right way.
“A kilogramme (kg) of Liberica green bean seeds can sell up to RM20 per kg.
“I believed when the private sector comes in to assist, they are able to come out with a proper grading and branding system and therefore the price of Liberica coffee will slightly increase per kg,” he said.
Meanwhile, a tour guide turns Liberica coffee grower Edward Yong from Kuching said he started planting Canaphora to Arabica and Liberica coffee in 2016.
“Coffee is now the second most traded commodities in the world, and Sarawak Liberica has great potential.
“It is catching up like wildfire now, and I hope the government, including all the experts can assist us by putting our rainforest coffee to the world.
