Philippine Coffee Board, Inc. (PCBI) vowed to provide local coffee farmers with training and machinery to cultivate 5,000 hectares of plantation per year. The said investment will significantly boost Cavite’s coffee industry.
Respectively, based on the report of the Philippine News Agency, the said private sector will establish facilities worth Php 10 million. These facilities are field office, and the bundled training and machinery, particularly a wet and a dry coffee grinding facility.
Coffee Industry in Cavite
Accordingly, PCBI chairperson Nicholas Matti said in an interview during the formal opening of its field office in this “Coffee Capital of the Philippines” that “Amadeo coffee is heirloom. Our direction is to propagate it to fine Robusta and focus on exporting their products.”
PCBI will make efforts to bring back the enthusiasm of coffee farmers in the area. Further, Matti observed that only 33 percent of the coffee area had only remained (from 24 hectares to 8 hectares). Unfortunately, some of these farmlands were not cultivated and used. Due to low income in coffee farming, farmers have lost interest.
“PCBI aims to develop the Philippine coffee industry through provision of technical assistance and credit programs for coffee farms, and marketing and promotion of coffee for the domestic and export markets.”
The efforts made by the private sector is timely in helping local farmers to increase production. Subsequently, according to the report of Sunstar, supply of coffee beans did not meet the increasing demand of Philippine coffee. This report surprised both private and public sectors, not knowing that Philippine coffee industry has its own potential ( Read more Farmers: Coffee demand high but supply is low).
To date, various efforts made by private and public sectors in order to develop agricultural industries. Apart from the heirloom of Philippine coffee beans, Cacao beans in Davao recognized as heirloom as well in US. ( See report here Malagos Chocolate Recognized as ‘Heirloom Cacao’ in US)
Sources:
5K hectares in Cavite town eyed for coffee plantation
Farmers: Coffee demand high but supply is low
Malagos Chocolate Recognized as ‘Heirloom Cacao’ in US