DA set to expand coffee farm areas
By Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz
The government is looking into expanding the coffee production areas to about 1,000 hectares in Davao Region, due to the consistent increase in demand for Philippine coffee in the market.
According to the Department of Agriculture (DA), Davao Region is one of the top producers of coffee in the country with a total area of 2,300 hectares.
“The demand for coffee is increasing by 2.4 percent every year and is expected to rise in the coming years. More and more people drink coffee every day and an increasing consumption among younger generation,” said Melani Provido, coordinator of DA-Davao Region’s High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP).
Provido enumerated five factors in meeting quality standards and volume requirements for domestics and international markets.
These are expansion of coffee production areas in the region; rehabilitation of old coffee plantations; implementation of good agricultural practices (GAP) through trainings and farm accreditation; establishment of post-harvest facilities, and effective branding of green coffee beans.
At present, a total of 185,500 trees were rehabilitated regionwide, which include 13,000 trees in Davao City, 82,500 trees in Davao del Sur and Davao Occidental, 15,000 trees in Davao Oriental, 15,000 trees in Davao del Norte and 60,000 trees in Compostela Valley.
Coffee is currently the second most consumed beverage, the second most traded commodity, and the fifth most important agricultural product.
Aside from Davao Region, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has listed Central Mindanao, and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao as the top producers of coffee in the country.