Bali Blue Moon
BALINESE BLUE MOON COFFEE, is a rare and unique Arabica specialty coffee produced by smallholding farmers inhibiting fertile volcanic highland area at the heart of colorful paradise island of Bali. Bali coffee along with Java coffee has also been well known in the world market a long time ago. David (1996) mentioned Bali coffee as one of “coffee geography” from Indonesia similar to Mandheling, Toraja, Lintong, Gayo, etc.
However, Arabica coffee planting in Kintamani highland was destructed by the eruption of Gunung Agung (volcano of Agung) in 1963. This eruption caused the quantity of Arabica coffee from Kintamani drop significantly for almost 15 years. Government authority started to redevelop Arabica coffee in the end of 1970’s and early of 1980’s, mainly by granting coffee seedlings to the farmers. Recently growing area of Arabica coffee in Bali is estimated 7.500 ha.
Farming techniques application on the “terroir” of Kintamani is relatively uniform. Arabica coffee farmers almost 100 % do organic farming by applying organic manure for their coffee, and they produce the manure by themselves inside the farm (from cattle, chicken or pig). Pesticides are never applied on coffee farming. Population of coffee ranges from 1111 plant to 3333 plants per hectare. Single stem system commonly applied by the farmers to prune their coffee bush, they cut their coffee at 180 cm height in order to facilitate harvesting. On this system cherries bearing depend on the branching management, the better branch pruning management is the more
stable and the higher cherries production. Traditional coffee farms are usually monoculture, however the farmers use shade trees such as Erythrina, Albizia, Gliricidea and Leucaena. Shading intensity on the traditional farmingranges from 30 % to more than 50 %. It has been proved in South America that the shaded coffee farming performs better cup quality.
In the early of 1990’s, when the world coffee price got very low, several farmers cut their coffee to grow tangerine and orange. Apart of them grew tangerine after uprooting all coffee bushes however most of them grew tangerine or orange between coffee rows. They diversify their coffee with tangerine or orange in order to maximize return from their land. Shading intensity given by tangerine to coffee perform only 25 % or even lower than it.
Type of farming system on “terroir” in Kintamani area such as organic farming, single stem pruning, shade trees application as well as diversification with tangerine is expected to be unique factor(s) influencing on “tipicite” of coffee taste produced from the mentioned geographic region.
Varieties Used
Most of Balinese Arabica coffee farmers grow S 795 and USDA 762 varieties as recommended by the Government. The two varieties are belonged to typica group, which are also widely grown by the planters to produce Toraja coffee in South Sulawesi and Java coffee in East Java. The other variety grown by the farmers in small scale is Catomor. The varieties are expected to perform unique distinctive characteristics under “terroir” of Kintamani, as a special quality sign or “tipicite” of the poduct.
Harvesting
Under normal climate condition Arabica coffee harvesting period is commenced on the May or early June. Traditionally the farmers do hand picking only the mature (red) cherries. After picking they used to sort their cherries to pick out the green and black one. Harvesting period will be terminated on September or early October. Cherries picking used to carry out in the morning until the day, the farmers deliver their coffee to processing unit which is managed by their group. Cherries condition can be delivered to processing unit if minimum 95 % mature (red), fresh and health as well.
Post Harvest Handling
The processing unit removes the outer skin of red cherries by pulping machine soon (in the afternoon), then the pulped coffee beans containing mucilage to be put into fermentation tank during 24 - 36 hours. After washing, the clean parchment bean to be fully sun-dried until 35% – 40% moisture content. Sun-drying is conducted over drying racks and/or on patio and tarpaulin sheet as well. Normally they sell wet parchment bean to their partner exporter. Then hulled in wet parchments continue fully sun-dried soon after hulled till moisture contain 13%.
Balinese Blue Moon’s Processing
Farmer organization
Arabica coffee farmers in Kintamani are, mostly, strongly organized through Subak Abian (SA), namely a traditional structure of farmer organization on upland areas in Bali. SA plays it important role not only on agriculture activities but also on religion ones. In Arabica growing area of Kintamani there are 58 SA at the moment. SA is a “unique” farmers’ organization in Indonesia or may be in other countries too, which is founded on the Hindu philosophy of “Tri Hita Karana” means three happiness causes. The philosophy consists of the importance relation of human being to God, to other men to environment. Each SA established a written traditional rule, the so-
called “awig-awig”, democratically. SA can be stimulated to form a rural cooperative, for instance a motivated SA of Kerta Waringin has established a village cooperative.
Altitude
In Kintamani area Arabica coffee is grown on the altitude between 1000 m to 1500 m, however it mostly covers on the altitude 1200 m and up. The higher altitude is the better aroma and flavour formation.
Mediated Partnership Model
Coffee quality improvement at the smallholding farmers is not only a question of technology application, but also question of social and economic awareness. A mediated partnership model was developed by ICCRI to improve Arabica coffee quality and to shorten marketing chain from farmer gate to exporter. The partnership between farmer groups and exporter (PT Indokom Citra Persada) was built upon the spirits in supporting each other and sharing benefits. ICCRI plays its role as mediator including providing training at the farmer level, backstopping during coffee processing and quality control. In this model exporter should committed to provide buying guarantee at the a reasonable price to the farmer groups.