In a bid to strengthen the coffee industry in the Philippines, a Canadian network is seeking to forge a partnership with the Department of Agriculture’s Regional Field Office 2 (DA RFO 2).
Representatives from SOCODEVI, a Quebec-based network of cooperative and mutual assistance enterprises, recently met with DA RFO 2 officials to explore potential collaboration opportunities.
According to Dr. Rose Mary G. Aquino, DA RFO 2 Regional Executive Director, five farmers’ cooperatives and associations in the region are already making waves in the coffee industry.
โThese groups have undergone clustering and consolidation, received interventions from DA RFO 2, and some have even availed of assistance from the Philippine Rural Development Project,โ Dr. Rose Mary G. Aquino said to Vincent Domaire, Nicolas Montibert and Serge Lantague, from SOCODEVI, Quebec, Canada-based Network, who are interested in coffee industry partnership.
The FCAs are Kasibu Coffee Growers Association, Bugkalot Coffee Growers Multi-purpose Cooperative, Tiblac Farmers Agriculture Cooperative, Kalahan Coffee Growers Association and Kayapa Forestland Association Agriventures Inc, all of which have undergone clustering and consolidation.
โThree of these cooperatives are now engaged in production, processing, and marketing, and have reached Level 3 of clustering and consolidation,โ Dr. Aquino said.
SOCODEVI’s mission is to support the development of cooperatives and mutuals in developing countries, with a focus on promoting economic development, social justice, and environmental sustainability. In the Philippines, SOCODEVI aims to improve living conditions for families and communities through cooperative development.
During the meeting, Ms. Carol Albay, Regional HVCDP Focal Person, provided an overview of the coffee industry in the Philippines. Cagayan Valley, she noted, ranks ninth in terms of production, with small-holding farmers dominating the landscape.
โThe coffee area is dominated by small holding farmers with an average farm size of 0.5-2 hectares, regional sufficiency is 70% and per capita consumption is 1.61 kg,โ Albay said.
She said the total production area is 23,691.55 hecatres, broken down as follows: Coffee Arabica โ 2,701.60 Ha; Coffee Excelsa โ 1,504.70 Ha; Coffee Liberica โ 147.70 Ha; and Coffee Robusta โ 19,337.55 Ha.
The region’s coffee production has a total of 10,980,277 bearing trees and a volume of production of 5,323.03 metric tons paving the way for potential partnerships with SOCODEVI.
Engr. Giovannie M. Magat of PENRO DENR said they have appropriated an adequate portion of their protected area to the different Farmers Association and coffee seedlings were planted thereof.
Ms. Juliet Morales, Regional Coffee Focal Person also narrated success stories of coffee farmers who also plant vegetables and who are now producing class A coffee beans.
โOnce our MOA will be finalized, SOCODEVI will bankroll 9 million Canadian dollars or 260 million pesos for the funding,โ Philip Felipe, SOCODEVIโs Filipino counterpart said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Enrique de la Cruz, National Coffee Focal Person, the coffee situation has been given attention to, and with the coming in of SOCODEVI, much will be achieved.
As the two parties explore opportunities for collaboration, one thing is clear: the coffee industry in the Philippines is poised for growth, and Cagayan Valleyโs coffee and with the right partnerships, will uplift lives of the small holding farmers.
via Ferdinand Cortez
photos: Erwin Cachero