Thursday, November 30, 2006 Task force to pursue Kalinga coffee organic certification
TABUK, Kalinga -- The bid of coffee farmers to have their produce certified as organic looks brighter with the work now handed to a task force composed of staff from the Benguet State University, Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
Efforts for the organic certification of the Kalinga coffee had been junked in the past due to the high cost involved in the certification process.
Jeoffrey Pasikan of the DTI-Kalinga said it was very costly on the part of coffee farmers to pay the services of experts from the Organic Certification Center of the Philippines, who were earlier tapped to do the certification process.
The task force, now being formed at the region, would be the same team to do organic certification of other products in Benguet and Mountain Province, particularly vegetables.
It can be recalled that the move for organic certification came about when demand for organic-grown products increased in the market because of health reasons.
Figaro, a Manila-based company, offers 20 percent increase in the price of organic-grown Kalinga coffee.
Because of the lucrative offer, coffee farmers all moved for the organic certification of their produce and applied with the OCCP.
Last coffee season, a kilo reached a record-high price of P65. This would have brought more income for the farmers if their coffee were certified organic.
Coffee farming in the province is actually organic since it does not require any chemical input. But it still has to be certified organic and pass through the certification process required.
Kalinga coffee has three varieties - Excelsa, Robusta and Arabica. Coffee lovers claim Arabica has the aroma, Robusta, the taste and Excelsa, the blend.
But the popular Kalinga Brew, a brand of Kalinga coffee now available at markets in major cities here and abroad, is said to be a blend of the three, making it a top choice among coffee drinkers.
Coffee is the product of the province under the One Town One Product program of the government, earning much support in its production and marketing.
The province produces an annual average of 900 metric tons of coffee as per the 2003 data of the DA.
