A DAVAO City Councilor believes that Davao City can be the country's next "coffee capital in the Philippines," as she sees a potential industry in the city.
In an ambush interview during the opening of the Philippine Coffee Expo (PCE) 2022 on Wednesday, September 14, Councilor Marissa Abella said the city can earn the title, following the cacao capital in the country.
"Ang atong mga areas dili pa acidic. Ang areas, because it was under the rebels, wala pa gyud na-develop, meaning virgin pa atong mga soil (Some of the areas are not yet acidic. These areas, formerly under the hands of rebels, are not yet being developed, meaning their soil is still virgin)," Abella said, adding this had made the city's cacao production of high quality.
The councilor, who is the chairperson of the City Council committee on food and agriculture, said she saw the Paquibato District as a huge potential area for the city's coffee industry.
This after the area had been declared insurgency free since 2018, following the dismantlement of the New People's Army in the area.
"This is one of the livelihoods na mahatag nato sa (that we can give to our) atong mga farmers, especially in the conflict areas," Abella said.
Paquibato, a high-elevated area, is suitable for the production of Arabica coffee, she said.
Aside from ascending the city's status in the country's coffee industry, Abella said this is also a contribution in bringing back the country as one of the biggest producers in the world.
The councilor, in coordination with the Agricultural Cooperative Development International/Volunteers in Overseas Cooperative Assistance (ACDI/VOCA), is planning to craft an ordinance boosting the city's coffee production.
Aside from providing livelihood, she said this could attract tourists as the city also eyes developing these areas as an agritourism spot.
TJ Ryan, chief of party of the Philippine Coffee Advancement and Farm Enterprise (PhilCAFE), said the city is a potential area for the coffee industry.
Ryan, however, said he is not discounting other parts of the country as he believes that the country, in general, is a potential capital for coffee export.
After its postponement two years ago, PCE finally pushed through on September 14 and 15 at the SMX Convention Center in Davao City.
The PCE 2022 is organized by the Philippine Coffee Guild and the Davao Region Coffee Council with support from the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Agrarian Reform and the Department of Trade and Industry, in collaboration with the PhilCAFE Project which is funded by USDA and implemented by ACDI/VOCA.
The event is a special avenue for the entire coffee industry of the Philippines to converge together and tackle key challenges and opportunities through technical discussions, and presentations of new technologies to increase productivity and quality and build networks within the coffee sector. It is also an important event for key industry members to gather after facing severe limitations brought about by the pandemic, which substantially affected the entire country’s coffee sector.
Over 1,400 participants representing the entire breadth of the sector, from researchers, producers, roasters, buyers and service providers to consumers for the benefit of the Philippine coffee industry participated in the event. RGL