Manila Bulletin

Regionaliz­ed plan for Visayas coffee industry

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ILOILO CITY — The coffee industry in the Visayas is planning to localize the Philippine Coffee Industry Road Map.

“We want to create a regional work plan for the local coffee farmers,” said Myrna Pablo, National Industry Cluster Coordinato­r for Coffee under the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

Both the Department of Agricultur­e (DA) and DTI have met with coffee industry stakeholde­rs from all over the Visayas in Iloilo City.

Pablo said localizing the road map is the next step after President Duterte approved earlier this year the Philippine Cacao and Coffee Industry Road Maps.

In particular, there is a need to increase production to keep up with the domestic demand for coffee.

Of the three regions, Western Visayas has the biggest coffee production, with a crop volume of 400 metric tons and a planting area of 3,812 hectares.

One of the key concerns raised by stakeholde­rs was the lack of coffee seedlings. DA Regional Director for Western Visayas Remelyn Recoter earlier assured DA will continue providing seedlings to coffee farmers. (Tara Yap)

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