Gayo Coffee Exports Expand to the United States

Gayo coffee exports by farmers in Aceh Regency have expanded their market to the United States. Gayo coffee (green bean) managed to export Rp 10 billion to California, United States. According to the Head of the Farmers’ Cooperative, Gayo Rafiandi, the export of 5 containers of coffee comes from a number of its members from 32 villages in Central Aceh Regency.

“Initially we were trained in 9 villages from 4 sub-districts. We were born from santri,” he explained (4/11/2022). Rafiandi admitted that the guidance from PT Astra International Tbk with the Astra Village Welfare program succeeded in increasing the number of fostered farmers.

Reported by regional.kompas.com, The Regent of Central Aceh Shabela Abubakar said that this export adds to the long list of coffee farmers in his region who have succeeded in exporting. Shabela explained that there are 20 exporters, including from companies or cooperatives. He hopes that this coffee export will be a sign of the revival of farmers in the area after 2020 the activity can be said to be dead.

“In the early of 2020, during Covid, our coffee exports stopped. Due to the lockdown at export destinations,” he said.

In addition, the Secretary to the Director General of Economic Development and Investment of the Ministry of Villages PDDT Sudrajat, hopes that coffee exports can be exported with added value in the future. According to him, the product will be better if it has other selling values. Examples such as finished products or coffee products that have been roasted.

“Don’t just be satisfied with raw materials. You have to innovate with diversification,” explained Sudrajat.

The Astra Village Welfare program in Central Aceh is expected to accelerate this realization. According to the Chief of Corporate Affairs of PT Astra International Tbk Riza Deliansyah, as many as 1,060 Astra Village Welfare programs in Indonesia are able to increase people’s income and create new jobs.

“It has also succeeded in adding more than 20 thousand new jobs,” he added.