Wednesday, February 27, 2008 Official sees Cordi as RP's coffee capital By Jane Cadalig
CORDILLERA'S potentials in coffee growing will lead the region to become the coffee capital of the country in three years.
Thomas Killip, presidential assistant for Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), said major stakeholders of Arabica, one of the best qualities of coffee, are directing their efforts towards making the region the Arabica capital of the Philippines in three years and make this potential a priced attraction in five years.
"Cordillera can have the monopoly of Arabica coffee production because it has the proper climate and the type of soil to produce the best quality of coffee beans," Killip said.
"With these potentials, I am confident this will become a major attraction even without the need of organizing a festival to this effect," he added.
He said Arabica coffee commands the highest price in the market. A kilo of the raw beans sell at P70 to P180 locally.
To attain the goal, farmers in the region are being encouraged to grow Arabica coffee.
Provincial and municipal coffee council's creation is also being pushed in an effort to uphold Arabica production.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) has also committed support to the Arabica coffee production.
The regional office committed to take the lead in developing some 40,000 hectares for coffee production in the region.
The existing plantation for Arabica in CAR is 751.77 hectares with an average yield of 300 kilograms per hectare.
Agriculture Assistant Secretary Salvador Salacup said the Arabica coffee grown in Cordillera, particularly Benguet and Mountain Province, is being equated to the coffee grown in Brazil, the world's major coffee producer, because of its quality.
He encouraged farmers here to engage in producing the crop to fill the demand required by the market.
The country's annual coffee consumption is pegged at 75,000 metric tons. The country's yearly production is 35,000 metric tons.
