Sustainable coffee farming in Mindanao pushed

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) eyes the development of a sustainable coffee industry in Mindanao through partnerships of government, private sector and farmer cooperatives 

“Embracing collaboration for collective action to enhance farmers’ resilience and profitability is essential. This approach must define and characterize our united front in addressing current challenges and also to take advantage of increasing local market demand for coffee,” said DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. during a visit to the Northern Mindanao Agricultural Crops and Livestock Research Complex yesterday.

The complex hosts Nestlé Philippines’ Bukidnon Integrated Coffee Center.

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DA said the center has been a partner for the agency’s Mindanao Coffee Robusta Project which has resulted in a doubling of coffee communities in Bukidnon and Sultan Kudarat that is now totaling 3,000 communities.

The agency said the project is being implemented with Nestle, local farmers, the German Federal Ministry, the DA’s High-Value Crops Development Program and other local government agricultural offices and agencies with the program resulting to increased coffee yields and farmers’ incomes.

“This collaboration has resulted in better bean quality and an increased average yield of up to 0.8 metric tons (MT) per hectare, up from a low of 0.3 MT. Consequently, farmers’ incomes have risen by 35 percent or more in some areas,” Tiu Laurel said.

The DA said the program has an ultimate goal to increase coffee farms yield to 2 MT per hectare to put the country’s production at par with Vietnam by 2025.

During the same visit, Tiu Laurel also distributed P6.5 million worth of assistance, including fertilizers and funding for the establishment of coffee centers to 16 farmers’ groups participating in the project.

Citing data from the Philippine Coffee Board, DA said the country produced 30,000 MT of green coffee beans last year, slightly higher than the 29,957 MT produced in 2022.

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