THE Crocker Range lies in the west coast of Sabah, a 75km stretch from Tenom in the west to Ranau in the east. It divides the west and east coast of the state.
On one of its peaks at the east, near to the Crocker Range National Park, residents of Kg Toboh Lama are excited. The coffee cherry harvest season is near. Some of the fruits have turned red. For the next few months until February, they will be busy plucking the fruits.
Coffee has been planted in Kg Tolok Lama since the colonial era. However, only in the last 10 years have the villagers converted the hillslope from other vegetation to arabica, a premier version of coffee.
The elevation of between 1,300, and 1,500m provides better moisture and lower temperatures between 16℃ and 27℃ to grow the plant. The wider range of temperatures in the highlands gives the coffee bean its unique taste.
Most of the coffee farmers are already in middle age and have to climb to their farms. They have to prune the branches, provide enough nutrients to the plants and keep pests away from the fruit. It is laborious work even though the yield is seasonal. Despite that, the farmers are practising ecological farming, which is more sustainable and to maintain the environmental biodiversity in their coffee production.
In the past four years, the coffee beans have been marketed globally as specialty coffee under the Sabarica brand. Thus, the price of raw coffee beans has hiked up from below RM10 per kilo in the last decade to around RM25 today. – October 2, 2020.
One of around 40 coffee farmers of Kg Toboh Lama in Ranau, Sabah, walking to his farm with his two companions. The farm is on one of the peaks of the Crocker Range, facing Mount Kinabalu. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, October 2, 2020.Kg Toboh Lama on the slopes of the Crocker Range in Ranau, Sabah, shrouded in mist. Many farmers here have inherited their fertile farms. The nearest town is Kundasang, an hour’s drive away through a steep and winding road. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, October 2, 2020.The Dusun of Kg Toboh Lama with their farm yield after a day’s work. Almost all of the residents are farmers and have been at the occupation for generations. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, October 2, 2020.A child walking home with her school bag after playing with her friends while the area gets dark. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, October 2, 2020.Arabica coffee cherries at Kg Toboh Lama against Mount Kinabalu. Located 1,300m above sea level, the plants produce high quality beans as the temperature is between 16℃ and 27℃, which is ideal for the plant. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, October 2, 2020.Coffee farmer Jamliah preparing her tools before going down the hill. Jamaliah plants Arabica coffee plants on 1.21ha. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, October 2, 2020.A coffee farmer plucking ripe coffee cherries. The harvest season lasts from October to February. The fruit turns from green to maroon as it matures. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, October 2, 2020.Fabian William checking his coffee plant. Fabian has been helping his father at their coffee farm since a child and only stopped to further his studies at a polytechnic in Kelantan. After finishing his studies, Fabian returned to his hometown, growing coffee plants, vegetables and herding goats. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, October 2, 2020.Farmers taking a break. Producing coffee beans is intensive work as farmers need to upkeep their plants and tend to downstream processes, such as removing the skin and pulp of coffee cherries before drying the beans. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, October 2, 2020.A farmer walking back home with her son after a day at their coffee farm in Kg Toboh Lama. The farmer works from 7am to 2pm daily. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, October 2, 2020.A farmer pouring the harvested coffee cherries into a container in a process to remove the outer layer of the cherries. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, October 2, 2020.Coffee beans produced by one of the Kg Toboh Lama farmers. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, October 2, 2020.A girl doing her homework while her mother packs her harvested vegetables. Non-seasonal crops provide a daily income while the farmers wait for the coffee harvest season. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, October 2, 2020.
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