Hygiene and Sanitation on Post-Harvest Coffee Processing in the South OKU Regency Comunity (Case Study)

Abstract

One of the Robusta coffee producing areas in South Sumatera is South Ogan Komering Ulu Regency and it has an area of 70,799 hectares which is spread across 11 sub-districts. This study aims to assess the level of hygiene and sanitation in post-harvest coffee processing, and it was conducted through direct surveys at harvest time and by interviews and questionnaires. Sampling was carried out deliberately, on 30 coffee farmers spread across eleven villages in BPR Ranau Tengah Sub-District. The results showed that the farmers had not yet implemented hygiene and sanitation in post-harvest processing which involved every activity from the picking of the fruit to its storage. At the fruit picking stage, all colors were collected and then dried together without any sorting. The drying stage did not meet the post-harvest coffee processing standards, as it resulted in high water content of the beans, which was between 62,26 ±0,76% and 13,97±0,55. Likewise, the storage process did not meet the hygiene and sanitation standards because not only were the coffee beans put in sacks, they were also stored in poorly ventilated warehouses or storage areas and mixed with other commodities. This predisposed them to fungi contamination. Two ocratoxin producing fungi, namely, Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus ochraceus were found in processed and stored coffee beans that did not meet hygiene and sanitation standards.