The Beginning of: Toraja Coffee

The existence of Toraja coffee as one of the world’s major coffee, not separated from the long history of this magic bean. The practice of coffee drinking began more than a thousand years ago in Ethiopia. According to legend, a shepherd trying to eat the coffee cherries once observed that his goats do not sleep when they ate the fruit that grows wild.

One [of] records first mention of coffee tells of Sheik Omar, who brought coffee to the city of Mecca in 1258. The city, now called Al Mukha, Yemen country. Hundreds of years ago, coffee from Yemen mixed with coffee from Indonesia (Java), to create a classic Mocha Java.

The world’s first coffeehouse opened in Mecca in the early 15th century. They are comfortable places where people relax and discuss politics while enjoying a cup of coffee. At that time, the coffee is cooked by boiling the seeds in the water. The practice of making coffee and penggonsengan started in Turkey, about 100 years later. Istanbul formerly known by the establishment of hundreds of coffee houses.

It is estimated that Muslim pilgrims returning from the Middle East bring their beans to India in early 1600. Written records mention that the governor of the Dutch in Malabar (India sends seeds Yemen coffee or coffee Arabica to the Dutch governor of Batavia (now Jakarta) in 1696. First sent seeds failed to grow dikarnakan flooding in Batavia. Second shipment of coffee seeds to be done in Batavia 1696. Plants are grown, And in the year 1711, the first exsport sent from Java to Europe by the East India Trade, known as VOCs (Verininging Oogst-Indies Company), which was formed in 1602. In the 10-year, exports rose an advanced 60 tons per year. Indonesia is the first place outside Arabia and Ethiopia, where coffee is widely planted. VOC monopolized coffee trading in 1725 until 1780.

Copy sent to Europe from the port of Batavia. There has been a port at the mouth of the river Ciliwung since 397 BC, when King Purnawarman founded the city which he called Sunda Kelapa. Now, in the City area in Jakarta, one can find echoes of the heritage of the sea to build the city. Sail to guide the ships remained in port charges its old. Bahari museum occupies a warehouse the predecessor of the VOC, was used to store spices and coffee. Syahbandar tower (or Lookout Tower) was created in 1839 to replace the flagpole located at the head office shahbandar, where the VOC ships fill their charges.

In the 1700s, coffee shipped from Batavia sold for 3 Guilders per kilogram in Amsterdam. Because of annual income in Holland in the 1700s between 200 to 400 guilders, which is equal to several hundred dollars per kilogram today. At the end of the 18th century, coffee prices dropped to 0.6 Guilders per kilogram and the habit of drinking coffee spread from the elite to ordinary people.

Coffee trade is very profitable for the VOC, but not for Indonesia’s coffee farmers are forced to grow by the colonial government. In theory, oil production export is intended to provide cash for Javanese villagers to pay taxes on them, it is in the Netherlands known as Cultuurstelsel (cultivation system), and this is in the spices and a wide range of other crops that are produced by tropical countries . Cultivation began in produkdi stelsel coffee in the area of ​​West Java Preanger. However, in practice, the price set by the government is very low and they shift labor from rice production to cause suffering for coffee farmers.
In mid-1970 VOC expand arabica coffee plantations in areas of Sumatra, Bali, Sulawesi and Timor. In Sulawesi, the first coffee grown in tahun1750. In the highlands of North Sumatra coffee first ditanama near lake Toba in 1888, followed by the Gayo highlands (Aceh) near the lake on tahun1924 Sea Freshwater Lake.

In 1860, a Dutch colonial official, Eduard Douwes Dekker, wrote a book called “Max Havelaar and coffee auctions in the Dutch trading company”, which raised about the pressure on the villagers by greedy officials and corrupt. This book helps the Dutch public opinion on the “Investment System” and colonialism in general. More recently, the name Max Havelaar was adopted by one of the free market trade organization.

At the end of the eighteenth century, Dutch colonialists established large coffee plantations on the Ijen Plateau in eastern Java. However, the disaster occurred in 1876, when the leaf rust disease attacked Indonesia that eliminates almost all cultivars of Typica. Robusta coffee (C. robusta canephor variation) was introduced in East Java on tahun1900 as his successor, especially at altitudes lower, where leaf rust is really deadly.

In 1920 farmers across Indonesia began to grow coffee as a crop that is traded. Plantations on Java were nationalized at independence and updated by the new varieties of Arabica coffee in 1950. This variation is also adopted by smallholders through the government and various development programs. Today, more than 90% of Indonesia Arabica coffee produced by farmers, especially in northern Sumatra, in the extensive gardens which average rate is about one hectare. Arabica coffee production is around 75.000 tons yearly and 90% intended for export. Arabica coffee from the most specific market segments mepunyai

Toraja Coffee History
In the region of Indonesia, coffee began to be planted in the 17th century and was to be drunk by the upper class Dutch. On the Japanese colonial era, the Japanese trying to open a coffee plantation in Toraja, but failed. Thus, the Toraja coffee is lost in the market since World War Two.

After the war, a Japanese, Mr.. Oki, president of the coffee trade, heard of any good coffee in Toraja yet extinct. He dreamed of making repeated Toraja coffee and decided to seek the seeds of Toraja coffee. Mr. Oki and his team came to the Toraja in about 1970 and continued to look for seeds of coffee in the mountains by horse or on foot for a month more. The difficulties faced by them. Finally, they found some coffee seeds and try to improve again and slowly multiply his seed. Then, they dreamed of opening the land to make the Toraja coffee to be exported to world markets.

Mr. Seino, Japanese people who are new to the company Mr. Oki in 1976, immediately appointed as the envoy of coffee plantation because he had worked in Lampung in 1971-1973. Indeed, this is the first time he had to Toraja. At that time, the road from Makassar to Toraja was very bad. Arriving in Toraja, no nothing. Mr. Seino have to start from scratch, including communication with Toraja society, shelter, and offices. Moreover, Indonesian language skills are not good. Determining the location of the coffee plantations are also experiencing difficulties. Indeed, at that time, PT Toarco Toraja has been established as a PMA between the Japanese and the Indonesia (TNI company), Mr. Seino was not alone but support is not enough.

After determining the location of a coffee plantation, the problem arises again. There is not way up to the location. Mr. Seino asked local authorities to make his way but was rejected. What can make, Seino should decide to make your own road a distance of 6 km up the hill above Mount Padamaran. Arabica coffee can be fruitful if the altitude above 800 meters. The higher the better location Arabikanya coffee. Current environment is difficult. Everything including the location of forest coffee plantation plan and road connections. With various difficulties, finally a coffee plantation on the height of 1000 meters and the road 6 miles to the estate settled. This mountain road called the Road. Seino, the only road that was named the Japanese in Indonesia.

Mr. Seino work in Toraja as head of the first coffee plantations in 1977-1984, and again in 1989-1993. After returning to Japan, Mr. Seino still served as a supervisor in the Toraja coffee plantation development.
However, Mr. Seino was not satisfied that duty. He was always sorry that was not enough to return something good heart and assistance from the Toraja. Every day, he thought what he could give to the people Toraja which is helpful for the activities of the company where he served coffee. Mr. Seino attempting to learn a special technique called digging water wells “Kazusa Bori” (Kazusa system excavation. Kazusa is the ancient name of the South Chiba in Japan), because a lot of trouble Toraja people access to clean water. However, because of his age are considered old and his body was not strong, Mr. Seino decided not to go to learn Kazusa Bori. Mr. Seino looking for another attempt to return something to society Toraja.

Incidentally, a professor of a private university offering organic fertilizer by using exhaust coffee skin and successful experiments. So, Mr. Seino want to apply the manufacture of organic coffee in a coffee plantation PT Toarco Toraja. In addition, Mr. Seino thinking of planting a tree as a shade tree for coffee growing farmers (note: PT Toarco Toraja buy more copies of mpetani than production in the plantation itself), is associated with the establishment of the plant timber management as a source of income for farmers by clearing treenya shade if it is large. Mr. Seino dream of greening the Toraja coffee in terms of environmentally friendly production, without complicate farmers’ incomes.

Mr. Seino is a portrait of ordinary Japanese people. Only, she loves and the people Toraja Toraja than anyone in Japan. On October 31, 2008, Mr. Seino finally closed his life after the age of 65 years for liver cancer. As I feel sorry to the people Toraja because he can not return anything useful enough to properly care and assistance during this Toraja society. Abandon the dream and desire to Toraja to us all.

courtesy of http://www.hardychen.com/2012/02/the-history-of-toraja-coffee/