BEFORE Benguet’s capital town celebrates the crowd-drawing Strawberry Festival, La Trinidad welcomed thousands of tourist with it coffee festival.

The two-day event (February 27 and 28) gathered coffee stakeholders to discuss the future of the industry in the valley.

La Trinidad Mayor Romeo Salda said with 100 percent of the associations attending the festival, they aim to strengthen the organization of coffee farmers in the valley.

"We want to bring back farmers to shift to coffee production and strengthen the coffee associations," said Salda.

A number of activities were scheduled during the festival. They included barista demonstration, coffee cupping, roasting of coffee, coffee spa and coffee products were showcased such as pastries, soap, beauty products and wine.

Municipal Tourism Officer Valred Olsim said the coffee festival is an institutionalized activity of the town every February in recognition of the contribution of the coffee farmers not only to La Trinidad’s economy but also to every great experience by coffee lovers.

"We have coffee farmers and we acknowledge it as a growing industry here in La Trinidad and even Benguet,” said Olsim. “Through the coffee festival, we also give tribute to the stakeholders and coffee farmers.”

A coffee stakeholders meeting and consultation will held Wednesday, February 28, with continuation of products showcased and unlimited coffee coming from different barangays.

Municipal Agriculturist Felicitas Ticbaen has encouraged backyard farming to increase coffee production in the municipality.

"We encourage those who have allotted spaces to cultivate coffee in their backyards because it is one of the high value crops," said Ticbaen.

Benguet and other highland towns in the Cordillera produce Arabica coffee because of their elevation.

"We cannot mass produce it just like robusta, that is why our Arabica coffee is considered a specialty coffee. Most of those are being process as an instant coffee are robusta," said Ticbaen.

She added that the festival aims to strengthen different organizations of their production and marketing with the hope that many will patronize Arabica, especially the entrepreneurs in the valley.

Meanwhile, Department of Tourism-Cordillera Chief Tourism Operations Officer Jovita Ganongan said quality coffee also carries the brand of tourist destination just like La Trinidad.

"Using coffee to carry a destination and brand will connote a farm tourism product offering that is specifically focused to coffee or activities that put coffee into center stage for tourism which is under the variance of farm tourism will be beneficial for the people involve especially the farmers bringing tourist into coffee farms," she said.

Department of Trade and Industry-Cordillera Director Myrna Pablo said there must be product quality assurance in every coffee products.