Coffee plantation characteristics of migrant farmers: a case study in Tanggamus, Lampung, Indonesia

Abstract

Abstract Tanggamus District is the second-largest coffee producer in Lampung Province after West Lampung District. The main production region is located at the highland of the northern side of Tanggamus namely the Sub-district of Air Naningan, Pulau Panggung, and Ulu Belu which border with protected forest area. This research was conducted in the Sumberejo Sub-district of Tanggamus Regency using survey and Focused Group Discussion method, considering that Sumberejo was the population center and the main coffee producer among Talang Padang ex-subdistrict region. The study involved 3 villages that were chosen purposely with 71 respondents of coffee farmers that were determined using a simple random sampling method and 3 series of FGD from April 2019 until September 2020. Data were analyzed using both descriptive and quantitative methods. The results show that 49% of sample farmers grow coffee located at medium (5-19 km) or long distances (⩾20 km) from home. There are 25-76% of sample farmers who work as a seasonal migrant usually (76.5% farmers) come to the garden once a month or once in two months. About 38% of sample farmers have coffee plantations outside Sumberejo Sub-district mainly at the Sub-district of Air Naningan and Ulu Belu. Long-distance coffee plantations are characterized by larger landholdings (1.5 ha on average), higher coffee stands per hectare (2,456 trees on average), and are dominated by mature coffee trees (41% farmers) and younger coffee trees (29% farmers). The more distance from home the lower shade trees population is. However more divers of MPTS are found in the coffee plantation that is located close to home residency. The yield of coffee plantations that are in a close or medium distance from home ranges 0.75-0.77 tons per hectare per year. Meanwhile, coffee plantations that are located a far distance from home get a yield of 0.94 tons per hectare.