Ilocos: Coffee farming boost

LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte – The provincial government of Ilocos Norte is encouraging local farmers to venture into coffee farming due to the high demand for coffee beans in the local and world markets. Edwin Cariño, head of the Special Projects and Development Office (SPDO), said the provincial government will extend assistance to the farmers, who are interested in growing coffee. “The provincial government will not only provide coffee seedlings to interested farmers but also technical assistance from our provincial agriculture office,” he said. He said the growing of coffee in the province is easier as it only require minimal water supply and lower planting costs. He assured that “the market demand of coffee remains high in the national level,” citing data from the Department of Agriculture that “an average Filipino consumes 1.2 kilos of coffee annually.” (Freddie G. Lazaro)