Coconut Farmer First

Local need

In Banyumas, coconut sugar is made in household kitchens from sap tapped every morning and afternoon. Quality is decided at the tree: unclean tapping containers or sap that waits too long before cooking leads to sugar that spoils or is rejected by buyers. In September 2026, the Hasbi team held focus group discussions with farmers, processors and prospective trainers in several villages to test the training modules before use.

Activities

• Needs assessment and village group discussions to validate materials.
• Training of trainers for Coconut Doctors and Sugar Masters.
• Household coaching on tree care, tapping-tool hygiene, sap handling and sugar cooking.
• Simple records of costs, output and household financial plans.
• Farmer-owned demonstration plots for replanting, intercropping and climate adaptation.

How it runs

1. Assess & validate

   Discussions with farmers, processors and prospective trainers decide which material is used.

2. Train the trainers

   Prospective Coconut Doctors and Sugar Masters practise content, field skills and facilitation.

3. Household coaching

   Each champion is planned to support up to 70 households, aiming for one visit per household per month.

4. Refer & review

   Difficult problems go to Hasbi's agronomy, environment and food-technology specialists; visit records are reviewed together.

What we track

• Trainer competence as demonstrated, not attendance alone
• Coaching visits completed and actions agreed
• Uptake of tapping, hygiene and processing practices
• Sugar quality or rejection trends and household cost records

These are the things assessed during the programme, not verified results. Results are reported after delivery and checks.

Ways to collaborate

• Coconut-sugar enterprises seeking more consistent quality and supply from producer households.
• Funders who want to extend village trainers to other sub-districts.
• Research partners for sap-quality and stove-efficiency studies.

Back to all initiatives