A Profitability assessment of robusta coffee systems in Sumberjaya watershed, Lampung, Sumatra Indonesia

Forest encroachment for coffee farming practices in Sumberjaya, Lampung province, Sumatra, Indonesia, has created serious problems in controlling state forestland in the province. Conflict of interest regarding land status and land uses has created multi-dimensional problems in controlling the utilization of state forestland. Efforts to rehabilitate state forestland that have been used for agriculture purposes (coffee) and settlements, not only hard to meet its objectives, but also create another problem. Conflicts between government apparatus (forestry officer) and the dwellers living within state forestlands in Sumberjaya area are among the problems. Yet, the existence of administratively recognized villages within protection forest, have brought the problems beyond the domain of Forest and Estate Ministry. There are also other ecological issues such as biodiversity losses, soil erosion etc., which are filling list of debatable environmental issues. The increasing rate of forest conversion for coffee farming in Sumberjaya area since early 1980’s, however, indicates that coffee farming in this area is attractive for farmers to cultivate. Profitability assessment of coffee farming systems as a mean to understand the attractiveness of such system practiced by farmers in Sumberjaya gives a hint that coffee systems under study provide high return to land and higher return to labor than the average agricultural wage rate in Sumatra. The return of coffee system enjoyed by coffee growers in Sumberjaya constitutes pull factor to other farmers and transmigrants living in the neighboring area, particularly within peneplain zone in North Lampung and other similar area that relies on dry-land food crop farming. Without any consistent policy implementation to protect state forestland, especially the intact primary forest, forest encroachment for coffee cultivation could not be restrained.

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