Liberika Coffee - Classification, Variety, Excellence, Cultivation & Market Potential
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Indonesian people know the types of coffee, such as arabica, robusta, excelsa, and liberica coffee, which cannot be separated from the history of coffee brought by Europeans (the Netherlands). at that time, the main commodity of coffee plantations was the forced cultivation system.
Liberika was brought to Indonesia by the Dutch with the aim of replacing the Arabica coffee plant which was attacked by an epidemic of leaf rust. Even so, it turns out that the Liberica type of coffee is also unable to survive this coffee plant outbreak.
Liberika coffee has the scientific name Coffea liberica var. Liberica is coffee that is thought to have come from Liberia. however, in general this type of coffee can be found in many other African regions. At present, liberica is grown on coffee plantations in Africa and Asia on a limited basis.
table of contents
Origin
Liberika is believed to have originated from the name of the area in Liberia which was later used to name this type of coffee. not only found in Liberia, but the liberica plant also grows wild in other African regions, such as Angola, Central Africa, Benin, Kamerin, Gabon, Ghana, Congo, Guinea, Nigeria, Sao Tome, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Uganda and Ivory Coast.
in the years before 1878, coffee plantations in Indonesia were planted with arabica coffee. .however, at that time there was an outbreak of leaf rust disease or Hemelia vastatrixi (HV), so the Dutch government looked for alternatives to other types of coffee that were more resistant to the disease.
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Liberica coffee, which was planted in 1878, was only able to survive until 1907. Because the Liberica plant experienced the same thing as Arabica coffee, which was attacked by leaf rust, especially in plantations in lowland areas.
Although it has better resistance than Arabica, in the end the type of Liberica plant is replaced with the Robusta coffee type.
Currently, Liberica coffee is cultivated in a limited manner and not as much as Arabica or Robusta. several countries that grow liberica coffee, including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, West Africa, Guyana, Suriname, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, East Timor, Taiwan and Vietnam.
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more specifically, this type of coffee can be found in Indonesia in the Bengkulu and Jambi areas, precisely in the Tanjung Jabung area.
Liberika classification
At first, Liberica was considered a variation of the robusta coffee type, hence the scientific name Coffea canephora var. liberica. However, the latest grouping places Liberica coffee into a separate species, because it has different properties from Robusta coffee, so it has the scientific name Coffea Liberica.
One of the varieties belonging to the type of Liberica is Excelsa coffee with the scientific name Coffea Liberica var. Dewevrei.
Taxonomy
The following is the scientific classification of the type of Liberika coffee plant, namely:
KingdomPlantaeDivisionsTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsideTribeRubiaceaeManCoffeaSpeciesC. liberica W.bull ex HiernVarietasC. liberica var. Liberika
Plant Morphology Liberika
Liberica coffee produces quite large fruit compared to other types of coffee. The fruit is round to oval and 18-30 mm long. In one liberica fruit there are 2 coffee beans, each measuring 7-15 mm.
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Even though it bears large fruit, the weight of the dry fruit is only 10% of the wet weight. The dry nature of the fruit is not preferred by coffee farmers, because the weight loss during harvesting until the fruit is ready to be processed is quite high. This makes harvesting costs relatively expensive and makes farmers less interested in cultivating the Liberika coffee plant.
Liberika Coffee Cultivation
lowland tropical areas with an altitude of 400 to 600 meters above sea level are ideal areas for liberica plants to grow well. However, this coffee can also grow and bear fruit in areas with an altitude of 1,200 meters above sea level.
The ideal temperature required for maximum growth is 27 degrees to 30 degrees Celsius, with rainfall of 1500 to 2500 mm per year.
As in other types of coffee, the Liberica plant grows well on land that receives full sun and under the shade of other trees. Liberika is also known as jackfruit coffee, because the coffee beans are large and can grow up to 9 meters tall.
The following are the stages and guidelines for the cultivation of Liberika coffee, namely:
1. Nurseries
The first thing to do is the coffee nursery. The coffee being planted must come from good quality broodstock. Quality Liberica broodstock comes from healthy plants, free from disease pests and has 2 to 3 primary stem branches.
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2. Land Preparation
Liberica planting land must have a good irrigation route. we can make a primary trench in the middle of the garden every 1 hectare. Next, make a planting hole with a distance of 40 x 40 x 30 cm with a distance between the holes of about 3 x 3 meters. Leave the hole open for 1 month.
Also prepare shade trees so that coffee plants are not exposed to direct sunlight. Planting shade trees on coffee plantations can be done 1 year before planting the seeds.
3. Planting seeds
If the seeds are ready, they can be planted when they enter the rainy season. so that the roots of the coffee plant are not bent, we can make cuts at the base of the polybag with a thickness of 1 to 1.5 cm. After the plant is 1 month old from planting, then do the embroidery. Replanting is the activity of replacing damaged or dead plants with new plants.
4.Maintenance of Coffee Plants
When the coffee plant is 3 to 4 years old, we can do pruning at the end of the stem. In addition, plants also require weeding to avoid weeds, at least 1 to 3 months. if the coffee plant has not been fruitful, you should also clean the primary trench of weeds.
5. Coffee Harvest
Liberica coffee harvesting can be done manually by hand or using tools. So that the quality of the coffee beans does not decrease, it is better if the beans are processed immediately. then store and ripen the coffee not too long because it will spoil the taste of Liberica.
Liberika excellence
Liberica plants have several advantages, including easy planting in the lowlands and more resistant to weather conditions, pests and diseases.
This type of coffee also has a high tolerance for soil conditions that are less fertile, even in loamy soils, the coffee plant is still able to grow. In addition, the Liberica plant can also withstand sandy soils, drought and wet weather.
Liberika varieties
Several popular varieties of Liberica include Ardoniana and Duvrei. In addition, the Indonesian Coffee and Cocoa Research Center (Puslit Koka) in 2014 also succeeded in printing a species of Liberika coffee with the variety name "Libtukom", which stands for Liberika Tunggal Komposit.
Libtukom Liberika was developed in the area of West Tanjung Jabung, Jambi. The advantage is that it is resistant to leaf rust pests and can be planted in lowlands and peat soils. Libtukom Liberika has similarities with Excelsa coffee, but Libtukom has thicker flesh. In addition, the leaves of litbukom are brownish green in color, while excelsa is brownish red.
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Taste of Liberika
The aroma produced from Liberica is very different from robusta and arabica coffee. Liberika coffee has a strong and pungent aroma, with a thicker bitter taste. This type of liberica coffee is usually brewed and mixed with milk to mask the sharp aroma and bitter taste.
Coffee Trade
Types of Liberica and Excelsa are coffee which are not widely traded. The coffee market is currently dominated by arabica by 70% and robusta by 28%. Many of the products of Liberica coffee cultivation are exported to Malaysia, because Malaysian consumers like the taste of Liberica.
Potential of Liberika Coffee
The opportunity to develop the world liberal market is quite promising. It's just that the production and cultivation of coffee, which looks like a jackfruit tree, is low and quite quiet domestic enthusiasts.
The cultivation of Liberica coffee which is carried out by the community is generally only on a small scale even for personal consumption. whereas if it is managed more professionally, the world coffee market is waiting.
As previously stated, Malaysia is a target for Liberica's marketing because the Malays match the taste of this coffee. Of course, coffee plantation activists must continue to boost the quality and quantity of exports to these neighboring countries.
In addition, the Philippines is also an importer of Liberica coffee. In this country, the area of Liberica plantations is about 25% of the total area of all existing coffee plantations. This condition has not met the domestic demand of the Philippines, thus providing an opening for coffee exporters from Indonesia.
Besides market demand, the Liberika coffee plant also has other advantages, namely being able to grow in the lowlands between 400 to 600 meters above sea level, even up to an altitude of 1200 meters above sea level even though the coffee yield is not so optimal.
infertile soil, wet and dry land and a temperature range between 27 to 30 degrees Celsius can still be tolerated by this plant. Liberica coffee also grows and bears fruit throughout the year, thus providing a sustainable supply.
From these advantages and potential, it is hoped that coffee farmers can boost Liberica coffee production and introduce it to the wider community.
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