Demand for Tuburan coffee on the rise
JOEFEL O. BANZON
Coffee shop chain Coffee Dream noted an increasing demand for locally-grown beans, following its introduction of Tuburan produced coffee in its outlets nationwide, a couple of years ago.
“Our consumption of our Tuburan beans is increasing as it is also creating awareness. We started offering it as a promotional blend and our customers liked it, it tastes good,” said Coffee Dream president Glenn Anthony Soco.
According to Soco, his company recently placed additional orders of 60 kilograms of fresh green beans from coffee farms of Tuburan. Coffee Dream will expand the volume of its Kape Arcadio blend, and is also planning to promote this brand via direct selling concept.
“We would want to see more sales on the retail side with our Kape Arcadio blend. We intend to do direct selling as soon as we get the desired volumes,” Soco added.
“We are looking forward to an increased volume from the farmers that we could sell in commercial quantities,” Soco added.
The municipality of Tuburan in the north-eastern part of Cebu maintains over 2,000 hectares coffee farm.
Coffee farm, managed by Kafamco (Kabangkalan Agro Forestry Farmers Association Multipurpose Cooperative), aims not only to give livelihood of the over a thousand farmers from coffee farming, but also taking advantage of the eco-tourism niche of Tuburan.
The farm alone has the capacity to produce P4.3 million kilos of beans a year. If this is roasted and sold at prevailing P600 per kilo, it has a potential to earn over P2 billion annually.
Coffee Dream is one of the major bulk buyers to Tuburan-grown coffee, and it intends to encourage farmers to plant more, thereby improving their source of income.
Coffee Dream has close to 50 coffee shop outlets nationwide.