Agri office seeking to increase Arabica coffee production

Sunday, February 19, 2012

THE D0epartment of Agriculture (DA) in Davao Region is eyeing a partnership with a foreign company to help local coffee farmers venture on Arabica coffee production.

Melanie Provido, DA regional high-value commercial crops coordinator, said the planned partnership between the Agriculture department and Rocky Mountain Arabica Coffee Company (RMACC) is a program of Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala himself under the public-private partnership program of the government that aims to revive coffee industry in the Philippines.

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Provido said they want to venture more on Arabica coffee this time because it's the kind of variety that many coffee shops need.

"Nagkadaghan na ang mga coffee shops dire og ang ilang ginagamit sa cappucino, late, cafe americano kay arabica (Coffee shops are increasing here and what they use in many coffee shops is arabica coffee)," Provido said.

Arabica coffee is one variety that can be more profitable since it costs P200 a kilo in the market, while robusta's price ranges only from P90 to P100 a kilo, according to Provido.

The coffee production of RMACC has started in Benguet and Abra, but the Canadian firm has yet to start its business in the Davao Region.

"We will concentrate this Arabica coffee project with Rocky Mountain here in Davao City to improve the quality of life of the indigenous people," Provido said, pointing out that the produce of these indigenous people will be bought by the RMACC itself.

At least 1,000 hectares will be allotted for the coffee production, of which 500 hectares will be set aside by the RMACC and the remaining 500 hectares will be provided by the DA, Provido said.

The company will establish the 500-hectare coffee farms in the elevated areas of the city such as Sirib, Tamayong, Salaysay, Carmen, and Sibulan at 100 hectares each.

DA records showed that there were a total of 6,182 hectares of coffee plantations in 2010 that produced approximately 3,004 metric tons of Arabica coffee.

"We will put up a mill processing facility so that the existing Arabica coffee will be processed there," Provido said.