Republic of the Philippines
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Philippine Center for Postharvest
Development and Mechanization
CLSU Compound, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija

NEWS STORIES

Community-based coffee growers gears for quality coffee
by (October 23, 2018)
“Quality is the name of the game now … we just need to pay attention to it because the stakes are much higher, especially with the activation of the ASEAN Free Trade.”

This is what DA Undersecretary for High-Value Crops Evelyn G. Laviña stressed in her message read by DA-Cordillera Regional Executive Director Cameron Odsey during the fourth Coffee Expo held at the Hotel Supreme, La Trinidad, Benguet last October 8 to 10.

Lavina further highlighted that the expo is a “catalytic event” for the continuous existence and expansion of the community-based coffee entrepreneurs. “Who benefits,” she emphasized is far more important on how different agencies work together to gain “symbiotic” results.

PHilMech Director III Raul R. Paz reminisced the beginnings of empowering the backyard coffee growers into entrepreneurs, from PHilMech R&D in Benguet in 2009 to the present marketing side of the coffee industry value chain.

“Ang pamilya ng magkakape ay (the coffee family is) continuously growing, “Paz emphasized as members expanded from CAR, Region 4A, CARAGA to Negros Occidental and Sultan Kudarat.

For this Coffee Expo, PHilMech gathered 200 community-based coffee growers from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Participants displayed their coffee products, shared their sale pitches and presented video productions that gained awards and prizes.

PHilMech tapped coffee experts Billy Ignacio of Equilibrium, Jennifer Rimando of OLA farms and Susan Pablo of Kalugong Mt. Cultural Village Co. for the basics of coffee brewing, good agricultural practices on coffee production, coffee cupping and quality assessment.

A learning tour at the coffee processing center of Sagada Arabica Coffee Growers and Processors Organization highlighted the event.