Coffee for Inmates

KOMPAS/ADITYA PUTRA PERDANA

A number of visitors enjoy coffee at Banaran 9 Cafe & Resto, Semarang city, Central Java, Friday (22/2/2019). A memorandum of understanding (MOU) between PT Perkebunan Nusantaran (PTPN) IX and Jeera Foundation has been signed to provide 1 million coffee sachets per month for the consumption of inmates at prisons and detention centers. The Jeera Foundation is an institution involved in improving the capacity of inmates in prisons and detention centers.

SEMARANG, KOMPAS – To boost the sales of its ground coffee,state-owned plantation company PT Perkebunan Nusantara IX (PTPN IX) has cooperated with the Jeera Foundation, which trains inmates in a number prisons to become baristas. A number of coffee shops are then opened in several locations.

PTPN IX continues to boost the production and the sales of its Banaran coffee in cooperation with a number of institutions. One of its partners is the Jeera Foundation, an institution involved in improving the capacity of inmates in prisons and detention centers.

The company’s director for operations, Mahmudi, said at the initial stage, the company and Jeera would cooperate in distributing 1 million sachets of ground coffee per month . The coffee is distributed to a number of prisons and detention centers in the country for the consumption of inmates.

"After this, we are open to other forms of cooperation, such as establishing coffee shops by involving prisoners," Mahmudi said on the sidelines of the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the Jeera Foundation in Semarang city, Central Java, on Friday.

Mahmudi said in 2018, PTPN IX which owns three coffee plantations in Getas and Ngobo, Semarang regency, and Jolong, Pati regency, Central Java, produced about 450 tons of green coffee beans a year.

For the marketing of the coffee, the company has cooperated with other state-owned enterprises and private companies.

Capacity building

The cofounder of the Jeera Foundation, Tonny Partono, said the collaboration with PTPN IX would help develop the personal capacity of the inmates, who are still under rehabilitation in the prisons.

Jeera Foundation is an institution that is engaged in the development of skills of the inmates and ex-inmates. Through a number of training programs, the inmates get various skills so that they can develop their creativity after serving their sentences.

"With training as a barista, the inmates are expected to be professional in preparing and serving delicious coffee," Tonny said, adding that the training for the inmates was conducted at Cipinang prion, Jakarta. Cafes that have been operated and are fully managed by former inmates are located in Kota Tua in Jakarta. A similar program will be carried out in Semarang, Surabaya, Bali, Medan and Palembang.

In addition to coffee processing training, there is also training to make leather bags and shirt designs in Cipinang. "This is an attempt to reduce recidivism. It can also to change the people’s opinions of the former inmates," he said.

Improve quality

In 2019, PTPN IX plans to increase its coffee production to 600 tons. The company also continues to improve the coffee quality so that their prices can be increased. According to Mahmudi, as drinking coffee has become a part of the lifestyle of young people, demand for coffee will further increase in the future.

However, it will take time to realize the program. "We continue to improve the technical culture of coffee cultivation, such as nursing the coffee flowers and fertilizing," said Mahmudi.

The improvement of the coffee quality is in line with the company’s program to expand its coffee downstream business, such as in the sales of ground coffee. At present, of the total production, only 25 percent are processed into ground coffee. The rest is sold in the form of green beans for local and export markets.

The production for downstream is expected to continue to increase. To expand the sales of its ground coffee popularly known as Banaran coffee, PTPN IX plans to open a number of retail outlets in several locations such as Trans Mart in Banyumanik, Ahmad Yani International Airport , both in Semarang and in several resting areas along the Trans-Java Toll. At present, the company has 15 outlets in Central Java.

The head of the public relations department of PTPN IX, Sentot Tri Joko said the company’s program to expand its retail outlets was in line with the increase in coffee lovers in cities. "This is a challenge. If the company sells its coffee products in retail markets, the price will be more promising," said Sentot. (DIT)