Malanginspirasi.com – The participation of coffee farmers from the slopes of Mount Arjuno and Mount Kawi in the University of Brawijaya’s Art & Coffee Festival 2025 (Artcofest) marks a significant step toward introducing Malang Regency’s specialty coffee to national and international audiences.
Tri Wahyuni, Extension Coordinator for Ngajum District from the Malang Regency Department of Food Crops, Horticulture, and Plantations, shared her insights during the event.
“Coffee is one of the flagship products in my area of responsibility. Ngajum District alone stands out for its high-quality beans,” Tri stated at UB’s Auditorium on Monday (November 3, 2025).
She emphasized that the department’s primary goal is to elevate local farmers’ coffee to compete on national and ideally international stages.
“Our mission is to promote farmers’ coffee so it can go national and, hopefully, go global,” she explained.
Building Networks and Introducing Potential Partners
As an extension officer, Tri sees her role as spotlighting coffee’s potential and connecting farmers with business partners.
“Our responsibility is to highlight coffee as a premium regional product, promote farmers’ goods, and introduce them to partners to build sustainable business networks,” she added.
Tri was candid about the hurdles in promoting local coffee, particularly limited human resources.
“Our main challenge lies in human capacity. Many of our guided farmers are elderly, making it difficult for them to adapt to new technologies or modern packaging methods. Events like this help us learn and improve,” she noted.
Spotlight on Sembon Coffee: A Local Gem
The standout coffee showcased at Artcofest 2025 came from Dusun (Hamlet) Sembon in Malang Regency, known as Kopi Sembon.
Each region produces coffee with distinct flavor profiles, influenced by cultivation techniques, storage, and roasting methods.
“Coffee from every district has its own character. Lawang tastes different from Ngantang, and Wonosari differs from Ngajum. The roasting process, whether manual or machine-based, greatly affects the final flavor,” Tri explained.
At the festival booth, visitors encountered a full range of coffee products:
- Green beans (raw, unroasted)
- Roasted beans
- Ground coffee ready for brewing
“We have it all here, green beans, roasted beans, and ready-to-brew ground coffee,” Tri said.
Several visitors expressed strong interest in partnerships.
“There are investors eager to help expand our coffee’s reach into international markets,” Tri revealed.
Tri hopes events like Artcofest 2025 will draw more attention to Malang’s coffee farmers and foster long-term partnerships.
“We hope this event garners support from various stakeholders. We’re deeply grateful to UB for inviting us to participate. May this open new partnership networks for the future,” she concluded.
