(Partnership between KUPS Register Lima and PT ALKO Sumatra International Coffee for Robusta Coffee Export and Arabica Coffee Agroforestry Development)
In the rise of social forestry development, various programs have been introduced to enhance and achieve its goals facilitated by government agencies. The high potential of the coffee business in Bengkulu Province earns the opportunity for their product marketing to be extended for export to the regional and global markets. Seizing this chance, an FGD with the signing ceremony involving various stakeholders took place in Rejang Lebong on Saturday, 22 October 2022.
The FGD involved related stakeholders, such as the Social Forestry Business Group (KUPS) of Tebat Pulau Village in Register Lima, PT Alko Sumatra International Coffee (Hongli Fernando), The Indonesian Environment Fund (BPDLH Ministry of Finance), Head of Provincial Environment and Forestry Agency (Safnizar), higher education institutions (University of Bengkulu and Pat Petulai University), Rita Savitri Christina Sinaga from Center for Social Forestry and Environmental Partnership for Sumatra Region, and local coffee farmers within social forestry scheme. Siswahyono and Hefri Oktoyoki are the academics from the Department of Forestry UNIB as the expert to assist this activity.
The FGD on Coffee Business Ecosystem in Social Forestry
This FGD also emphasized the importance of building the business ecosystem, not only the business unit. Currently, the product of “Register Lima Coffee” managed by the KUPS Register Lima holds the silver category. The forum also stated its commitment to improving institutional capacity, technology processes, and blockchain systems to enhance and maintain product quality to be more competitive in the market and empower local farmers to guarantee mutual benefit between businesses and the people. The event continued with the inaugural planting of arabica coffee at the KUPS Register Lima Plot attended by all stakeholders.
Sunday, October 23, 2022, located in Tebat Pulau Village, which was attended by the Governor of Bengkulu (represented by the Head of the DLHK), Deputy Regent Rejang Lebong (Mr. Hendra wahyudiansyah), Member of the Bengkulu Provincial Parliament (Heri Purwanto), Head of KPHL Bukit Daun (Yudi Riswanda), Vice Rector of Pat Petulai University (Fitri Lestari), Academician of University of Bengkulu.
The signing ceremony was held the following day between the KUPS Register Lima and PT Alko Sumatra International Coffee. There was also coffee cupping assessed by Priatna, an internationally licensed cupper for the sample products. The score was 87.75 (specialty coffee), 83.19 and 81.30 for the premium coffee category. He also added that the results of this cupping score play an essential role in the implementation of the economic, social, and environment to make this business ecosystem more sustainable in the future.