IPB Alumnus Invites Every Indonesian Coffee Farmers to Unite
Started from a hobby and enthusiasm in agriculture, Wildan Mustofa, Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) almunus succeeded as a coffee farmer. His family's background as farmers drives Wildan to run a business in agriculture.
Wildan Mustofa started his study in IPB at 1987 and was enrolled in Soil Science (now Soil Science and Land Resources), Faculty of Agriculture, IPB. Wildan decided to enroll in this faculty because he wanted to be a farmer, continuing his parents' professions.
After graduated from IPB, Wildan started his business in agriculture by cultivating horticultural crops. Located in Majalengka and Pangalengan, Wildan started his business by cultivating highland vegetables.
After farming horticultural crops, specifically highland vegetables, Wildan realized that the land in mountain areas, especially in Pangalengan, Bandungan, was damaged. He thought that this damage happened because of incorrect plant cultivation process. One of those methods is by expanding the farm to forest areas. This behavior that damages forests was concerning Wildan.
He made up for his concern by changing profession to coffee farmer. Wildan started coffee cultivation from zero. He explored several Indonesian coffee-producing areas. From those explorations, Wildan found few varieties that matched his conditions and are potential to be cultivated. Those varieties include Sigararutang, Gayo 1, Gayo 2, Kopyol, USDA, Andungsari 1, Komasti, Lini-S795 and several modern hybrids.
He immediately applied the new knowledge in his three farms in Pangalengan and Sindangkerta, West Bandung. The results were satisfying. His harvest got him bestowed the second place of Cupping Contest-6 by Association of Indonesian Coffee Exporters and Industries 2014, Runner Up of Coffe Coffe Auction S.I.A.L. Interfood 2015, third place of West Java Coffee Festival, Runner Up of Indonesian Portrait Country Selection SCAA, Atlanta 2016, and third place in Bondowoso Coffee Festival 2016 and Gold Medal Australia 2017.
Wildan was not alone in his coffee business. At his first years in coffee business, Wildan partnered with Hikmah Farm in marketing. To increase production, Wildan invited local farmers to cultivate coffee.
"We invited farmers so they could take part in land conservation. Especially for those who originally cultivated vegetables, we asked them to convert their commodity into coffee," said Wildan.
To ensure the quality of the coffee produced by farmers, Wildan guided the farmers intensively. This guidance was given from upstream to downstream. With this program he provided production means, such as seeds, fertilizer, land, cultivation techniques, and post-harvest processing.
As a coffee entrepreneur, Wildan invited every coffee farmer in Indonesia to unite. Wildan hopes that with unity Indonesia can produce better coffee and will bring back the glory of Indonesian coffee.
"Let's work together to improve Indonesian coffee. There are many Indonesian coffees, but only few of them are well known globally, such as Gayo," he added. (Ard)
