<![CDATA[This study examines the traces of Kerinci agriculture in Dutch colonial reports from 1903 to 1942, positioning agriculture as the primary sector that sustained local livelihoods while also serving as a target of colonial economic interest. The study employs a library research method, using primary sources in the form of Dutch colonial archives, such as newspapers, magazines, books, and colonial reports, as well as secondary sources including journals, books, and other supporting materials. The findings show that the Dutch regarded Kerinci as a highly fertile agrarian region that was strategically important for the development of agricultural commodities such as rice, coffee, cinnamon, and tea. Rice became the main commodity of the local population, and its production surplus was later integrated into colonial distribution networks, although this also created food scarcity problems due to high export levels. Coffee developed rapidly, especially after the shift from Arabica to Robusta, which encouraged a change in the community’s agricultural orientation toward commercial production. Cinnamon demonstrated high export value because of its distinctive quality, while tea expanded through the development of the large Kayu Aro plantation by the colonial company H.V.A. The study concludes that Kerinci agriculture not only reflected the resilience of the colonial economy, but also revealed how the colonial economy, but also revealed how the colonial government represented, controlled, and integrated Kerinci’s agrarian potential into the colonial economic structure.]]>
Copyrights © 2026
