KUCHING: Coffee has the potential to boost the farming community’s income and transform the rural economy in Sarawak.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said coffee was a suitable crop to focus on, especially the homegrown Liberica coffee, as Borneo Island is strategically located within the coffee belt.
“Sarawak has been cultivating coffee as early as 1867, or since the Brooke era, and it was once an important cash crop to the Iban of Saribas and other Dayak communities,” he said during the launch of Borneo Coffee Symposium at the Old Courthouse today.
In a speech text read by Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development Ministry permanent secretary Datuk Ik Pahon Joyik, Uggah said in recent times, the Department of Agriculture had been encouraging farmers to engage in small and large-scale coffee planting, aside from crops such as palm oil and rubber.
“I must note that the level of coffee production is Sarawak is still low, compared to national average of 3.9 tonne per hectare.
“In 2018, our farmers produced 14.6 metric tonnes of coffee from an area of 268 hectares, which is an average of 0.5 tonne per hectare,” he said, adding that the coffee trees are planted in Miri and Limbang.
According to him, nationwide a total of 2,587.5 hectares are planted with coffee. Of this, 2,067.2 hectares are harvested area that produces 8,109.2 tonnes per year or 3.9 tonne per hectare.
“The state with the largest coffee planted area is Johor, at 1,008.6 hectares and producing 6,939 tonnes, followed by Sabah with 1,311.9 hectare producing 1,075 tonnes per year,” he said.
According to Uggah, the low production in Sarawak was due to several factors such as logistics, natural environment, types of beans chosen and lack of expertise in the field.
“Therefore, we hope that this first ever coffee symposium with the presence of experts from all around the world could assist in providing professional expertise to improve the yield,” he stressed.
While the Department of Agriculture is still focusing on smallholders, he said the Sarawak government welcomes any collaboration with international players in coffee planting and downstream related activities.
“Through this symposium, we hope to put Sarawak on the coffee map, and benefit farmers in their crop diversification, moving from subsistence to ‘specialty’ production, recognition of farmer identity and their contribution to labour and identity of the state too.
Looking forward to more collaboration, Uggah hoped more programmes on coffee production, farming skills, and training for smallholders will be held.
“There is a need to also explore coffee education courses potential in Sarawak, to allow our farmers to understand the right planting, harvesting and processing methods to increase their production quality and quantity,” he said.
The two-day symposium saw 21 local and international coffee experts, renowned coffee scientists, experienced coffee farmers, coffee estate owners, and researchers from countries such Germany, Philippines, Taiwan, India, Switzerland, Thailand, Canada, United Kingdom (UK), El Salvador and Malaysia.
Chairperson of Borneo Coffee Symposium and Managing Director of Earthlings Coffee Workshop Dr Kenny Lee was among those present.
