DAVAO City Councilor Rachel Zozobrado said the city may offer coffee planting to lure possible investors.

Zozobrado, in a statement, said the city's third district, which she represents in the City Council, is rich in opportunities for business ventures, particularly in agriculture. She cited Barangay Buda in Marilog District as such.

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"Coffee was one of seven agricultural products cited as possible income earners for small and medium enterprises during the recent Mindanao Investment Conference and the Marilog area has vast lands that can be planted with coffee," Zozobrado said.

She added that even Mindanao Business Council chairperson Vicente Lao confirmed the possibility of converting the Buda area into a very productive money-earning community by making it the center of coffee production in the region.

"Coffee drinking has become a way of life not only in Davao and the Philippines but also in other countries as well. As proof, see the annual revenues and active marketing campaigns of Starbucks, Seattle Coffee and even our very own Bluegre Cafe," Zozobrado said.

"Why don't we take a cue from those who know how business operates, like the MinCB [Mindanao Coffee Board]," she added.

According to Zozobrado, Buda's potential to produce premium coffee producer, particularly Robusta coffee, should give investors a hint to look into the possibility of entering into joint venture agreements with Marilog farmers.

Some of these farmers, he said, are already farming and producing coffee beans although in smaller quantities.

She said the demand for coffee increases by three percent every year and Mindanao has vast areas ideal for coffee production. The Mindanao Coffee Board even plans to produce 75,000 metric tons of coffee by 2015 to meet this demand.

"Investors should take advantage of this and invest in Marilog as it has an ideal climate and is not visited by typhoons," she said.

However, Zozobrado said indigenous people inhabit Marilog so the government should also make sure they are not displaced from their lands by the investors in exchange for livelihood opportunities. GLP with PR

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(December 28, 2008 issue)
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