BENER MERIAH, kiprahkita.net - The price of unprocessed coffee cherries (kopi glondongan) has recently declined, pushing farmers to peel and sun-dry their coffee instead. Ironically, this situation is occurring just before the peak harvest season.
“The current price of coffee cherries is only Rp13,000 per 'bambu' (a traditional unit of measurement),” said Khaidir, a coffee plantation owner in the KKA-Bener Meriah area, Nisam Antara Subdistrict, on Sunday (29/9/2024).
Due to the low price of coffee cherries, some local farmers have resorted to drying the coffee after peeling off the skin. “When dried, the price is a bit better, reaching up to Rp40,000 per kilogram,” Khaidir explained.
The low price of coffee has also impacted the daily wages of workers who collect the cherries. Currently, coffee plantation owners can only afford to pay Rp1,000 per 'bambu' (approximately 1.5 kilograms).
“Normally, when the price of coffee cherries is stable, we could earn Rp1,200 per 'bambu.' But now, even the wages have dropped,” said Alex, a freelance worker.
Alex further explained that when the price of coffee cherries is Rp20,000 per 'bambu,' workers can collect up to three cans or 10 'bambu' in a single workday.
“This is typically achievable during the coffee harvest, which is expected to start in early November. However, October marks the beginning of the coffee harvest for this region,” he added, expressing hope that coffee prices would rise during the upcoming harvest.
On average, freelance coffee pickers in the Gunung Salak area can earn around Rp150,000 per day. The dominant type of coffee cultivated in the area is Arabica.(infopuiblik)
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