Working at the coffee plantation Blawan and Kalisat
Before the coffee plantation became a plantation, wild land had to be cleared. Originally the Ijen Plateau was uninhabited. The administrators chartered people from the northern lowlands; attracting Madurese.
History of the coffee plantations in Ijen Plateau Banyuwangi
Since 1870 individuals could lease land in Indonesia, then called The Netherlands Indies. This situation attracted many European entrepreneurs into culture in Java. They rent cheap coolies (indigenous workers) for the sometimes heavy work.
Coffee coffee plantation arabica coffee harvest
Several species of shrub of the genus Coffea produce the berries from which coffee is extracted. The two main species cultivated commercially are Coffea canephora - better known as 'robusta' - and Coffea arabica. Both are cultivated at the Ijen Plateau.
Working at the coffee plantation Blawan and Kalisat, After peak season the seasonal workers return. They will leave the plantation, while the permanent residents will be looking for other activities in the area. That is the reason why new projects are launched such as the construction of a swimming pool near the coffee factory in Blawan, or the strawberry farm.