PTP VI KAYU ARO, THE POTENTIAL TEA PLANTATION TOURISM DESTINATION IN KERINCI

EXPLORE JAMBI - The profile of PTPN 6 Kayu Aro, which has the potential to become a tea plantation tourism destination in Kerinci Regency, Jambi Province, is presented in the following article. The profile of PTPN 6 Kayu Aro Business Unit has the potential to become a tea plantation tourism destination in Kerinci Regency, Jambi Province. The tea plantation tourism in PTPN 6 Kayu Aro Business Unit has the potential to be developed into one of the destinations in Kerinci Regency. This potential was revealed during the Familiarization Trip (Famtrip) to Kerinci in 2022 from 20-25 December.

What can be visited in PTPN 6 Kayu Aro Business Unit to make it an attractive tea plantation tourism destination? Firstly, from a historical perspective. As reported on its official website, the Kayu Aro Plantation/Business Unit was opened in 1920 by the Dutch company NV. HVA (Namlodse Venotchaaf Handle Veriniging Amsterdam). The first planting started in 1923 and the tea factory was established in 1925. Since then, the tea produced has been of the Orthodox Black Tea variety.

The second interesting fact that makes PTPN 6 Kayu Aro Business Unit have the potential to become a tourism destination is its impressive size. PTPN 6 Kayu Aro Business Unit covers an area of 35,576 hectares, with its tea plantation covering 3,184 hectares. They have 2 (two) tea factories with a processing capacity of 125 tons of fresh leaves per day, and 2 (two) tea bagging machines with a capacity of 1 (one) machine producing 150 boxes per hour or 2.5 boxes per minute. Meanwhile, for raw materials for processing in the factory, in addition to the harvest from their own plantations, the company also purchases tea shoots from smallholder farmers around the location of the company.

The third factor that makes PTPN 6 Kayu Aro Business Unit have the potential to become a tea plantation tourism destination is its educational value. Visitors can gain a wealth of knowledge about tea, including the best tea processing methods, the best tea leaves, and more. "Kerinci is one of the areas in Jambi that is rich in tourism destinations. Mount Kerinci is iconic and a choice for nature lovers. This mountain is not only beautiful, but also has extraordinary potential," said the Head of the Jambi Province Culture and Tourism Office, Arif Budiman, regarding the Famtrip Kerinci 2022 activity, which was supported by the provincial government and Garuda Indonesia.

"Kerinci's nature is very beautiful and well-preserved. There is also Lake Kerinci here. Because of its location and beauty, Lake Kerinci is a popular destination," he added. Not only that, Kerinci also has other destinations such as Kayu Aro Tea Plantation, Lingkat Lake, Semurup Hot Springs, TNKS, Pine Forest, and Mount Tujuh Lake. "We hope that these destinations can be introduced through Famtrip. Because the potential they have is truly extraordinary," he said.