THE performance of the coffee industry of Davao Region still has a long way to go to compete with the coffee industries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) region neighbors, said Department of Agriculture (DA)-Davao Region official.

During the Business Forum held at Dermpath, SM City Davao yesterday, June 3, DA-Davao Region High Value Crops Development Program coordinator Melani Provido said this is primarily because the postharvest facilities of the other countries are way more modern than what is used by the farmers in the region now.

“DA is still currently finding good suppliers accredited by Amtec. Amtec is a private accreditation body,” said Provido. Amtec stands for the Agricultural Machinery Testing and Evaluation Center, which was established as an “official testing agency to promote a self- eliant agricultural machinery industry that would cater to the needs of the Filipino farmers.”

Currently, the postharvest facilities being distributed to farmer organizations and cooperatives include dryers, dehullers, and depulpers among others.

For now, all the suppliers of these postharvest are local-based.

When asked if DA also considers sourcing out foreign suppliers to be at par with the postharvest facilities used by other agricultural countries in the Asean, Provido said they would first need to make sure that these foreign suppliers are accredited by Amtec.

Aside from the postharvest facility concerns, Provido said the entire DA is looking into increasing the productivity of coffee nationwide.

As per the National Coffee Roadmap for 2020 of the Philippines, they target to reach at least one metric ton of coffee per hectare in a year.

Currently, the Philippines produces only 400 to 500 kilograms of coffee per hectare per year.

“In order to increase the productivity of coffee, we encourage the farmers to rehabilitate, prune, fertilize, and if necessary, expand their areas as well,” she said.

In the entire Davao Region, there is already about 16,000 hectares of land with coffee planted.

DA-Davao targets that by 2020, this will increase to 20,000 hectares already.

The intervention and assistance of DA to these farmers lie with farm rehabilitation, expansion, postharvest facilities provision, education of good agricultural practices, and the coffee branding. (JPA)