History of Toraja Arabica Coffee Plantation at PT. Sulotco Jaya Abadi

Posted on 31/08/2022

History of Toraja Arabica Coffee Plantation at PT. Sulotco Jaya Abadi

The Sulotco Jaya Abadi coffee plantation is located at an altitude of 1500 - 1750 meters above sea level and is located in the Rantekarua Mountains, which stretches from Bolokan Village, Bittuang District, Tana Toraja Regency to Cloud Village, Awan Rante Karua District, North Toraja Regency. Having Cultivation Rights area of 1,200 hectares at the foot of Mount Rantekarua makes PT. Sulotco Jaya Abadi as the largest private Arabica coffee plantation in Indonesia.

PROFILE

Starting from a coffee plantation owned by the Dutch during the colonial era, the Sulotco Jaya Abadi coffee plantation developed into a producer of quality Arabica coffee in Indonesia. Indonesia is known as a world-class Arabica coffee producer since the Dutch opened coffee plantations in Sulawesi in the 17th century. The Rantekarua coffee plantation was originally owned by a Dutch nobleman named H.J. Stock van Dykk. This plantation was 'lost' and forgotten during the war. After the war ended, this plantation was controlled by the government and in the end it was handed over to PT. Sulotco Jaya Abadi to manage.

In 1987, the first planting began on the Rantekarua coffee plantation using superior seeds from the United States, the R&D institution, which was named USDA seeds. Furthermore, there were Lini S 795 and Tipika seeds which were then introduced into the garden. The search for coffee seeds at that time was still quite difficult, senior employees had to search remote villages such as Baruppu' and Pangalla to find old coffee trees and take the seeds. In more than 30 years, PT. Sulotco Jaya Abadi has planted more than 1 million coffee trees.

Sulotco's commitment is to maintain the harmony of nature for the sake of future generations and the preservation of other living things. Sulotco set aside 200 hectares of land to be used as a land and water conservation area and since 2010, Sulotco has started pioneering organic coffee cultivation. In 2016, PT. Sulotco Jaya Abadi officially received organic certification from the European Union, Japanese Agricultural Standard, and the United States Department of Agriculture.