With an emphasis on farmers in Northern Mindanao, the Department of Agriculture (DA) has committed to supporting the region’s coffee-producing sector with at least PHP1 billion.
DA Secretary Francisco Laurel Jr. stated that he would ask President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for an additional budgetary allocation during his tour of the Bukidnon Integrated Coffee Center in Malaybalay City.
"We need at least an additional 30,000 hectares for coffee farming, which I hope we can secure," Laurel said.
Expanding the coffee industry
Additionally, as part of the Mindanao Robusta Coffee Project, which is a partnership between the DA and the international food and beverage corporation Nestlé Philippines, Laurel provided support and inputs to 16 coffee farmer associations.
The DA seeks to cut the nation's yearly import rate of coffee beans by 10 to 15 percent.
According to Jose Uy III, head of corporate affairs at Nestlé, the company produces about 40,000 metric tons locally to suit Philippine demand, with over 80% of its coffee products being sourced in Mindanao.
Needing a billion
According to Laurel, the DA would need at least P2 billion to increase import dependency by 20 to 30 percentage points by the end of 2027 as the government would need at least P1 billion to increase coffee self-sufficiency by 10 to 15 percent.
Coffee must be planted on at least 80,000 hectares with an average yield of one metric ton per hectare to meet the target. If coffee were grown on 40,000 hectares of land with such an average yield, the nation's reliance on imports would be reduced by 15%.
According to him, the World Bank's official development assistance (ODA) may fund the coffee sector.
