KOPAKA Revives Kiau's Arabica Coffee Legacy

16 March 2025

KOTA BELUD: The Kiau Coffee Cooperative of Kota Belud Berhad (KOPAKA) is committed to revitalising Sabah’s Arabica coffee industry, striving to become one of the state's leading producers by 2035.

According to KOPAKA Chairman, Dr Rainal Lasumin, the cooperative was founded in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, when a group of villagers convened to collectively revive coffee cultivation.

"More than 50 villagers attended the founding meeting, leading to KOPAKA’s successful registration with the Malaysian Cooperative Commission on 22 February 2020. To date, KOPAKA has grown to 218 members, with 43 actively engaged in coffee farming," he explained.

Arabica coffee cultivation in Kampung Kiau Paka dates back to the late 1950s when it was introduced by Dutch Catholic missionaries. At that time, coffee farming was a primary source of income for the Kiau community.

However, in the early 1980s, the industry declined drastically due to the construction of the Tamparuli-Ranau Highway, which led to the acquisition of coffee farms for infrastructure development.

After nearly three generations, the Kiau community has come together once again to revitalise the coffee industry.

“We hope to improve the economic standing of local farmers while simultaneously boosting Sabah’s coffee production, which, as of 2023, had a self-sufficiency rate of only 33 percent, dominated by Robusta and Liberica varieties,” he stressed.

The coffee production process begins with selecting seeds from old coffee trees in members’ farms, which are then germinated in KOPAKA’s nursery. Once mature, the seedlings are transferred to the fields.

With proper care, coffee plants begin to bear fruit after approximately two and a half years. The ripe cherries are hand-picked, fermented, and pulped to extract the beans, which are then sun-dried. Once dried, the beans are hulled to obtain green beans, which are subsequently sent for roasting and grinding before being packaged as finished coffee products.

The cooperative’s signature brand, ‘Kopi Kiau’, offers a distinctive taste derived from the fertile soil on the slopes of Mount Kinabalu.

“This legendary coffee has been cultivated over five generations by Kiau’s highland smallholder farmers, in an environment surrounded by Class 1 Forest Reserves and the World Heritage Geo Park,” he said.

Moreover, in February 2025, the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) released laboratory analysis results recognising that Kiau Arabica Coffee’s nutritional content is on par with Arabica coffee produced in major coffee-growing nations.

Despite its progress, the coffee industry in Kiau faces several challenges, including labour shortages, scattered small-scale farms, and limited production capacity.

In terms of marketing, Kopi Kiau is currently available only at Kunkurad Café and Lounge, located at KM 24 on the Tamparuli-Ranau Road, as well as served as the exclusive ‘Kiau Latte’ at Head Hunter Café. The product has yet to reach supermarket shelves due to ongoing efforts to standardize packaging and labelling, as well as the currently limited coffee production.

KOPAKA actively engages in programmes organised by the government and its agencies to promote Kopi Kiau, receiving strong support through initiatives such as coffee plant management and business management training for cooperatives.

"We are still in the early stages, and coffee production remains low. However, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as HOPE Malaysia have supported us by establishing KOPAKA’s official Facebook page," said Dr Rainal.

Additionally, KOPAKA hopes the government will provide greater support by setting up a coffee collection, drying, and processing centre.

“To ensure the sustainability of this industry, we need sufficient farming equipment and agricultural inputs to aid smallholder farmers in maintaining high-quality coffee production,” he added.

With continuous community and government support, KOPAKA remains optimistic that Kiau’s Arabica coffee industry will thrive and achieve its vision of becoming Sabah’s leading Arabica coffee producer by 2035.