Million for coffee self sufficiency by 2022

BAGUIO CITY – R354.60 million has been allotted through the Department of Agriculture (DA) to boost the country’s coffee production to 214,626 metric tons by year 2022.

Undersecretary Evelyn Laviña of the High Value Crops and Rural Credit (HVCRC), who delivered the speech of Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol during the 3rd Philippine Coffee Conference recently in Baguio City, said the medium-term development for coffee was put in place with the signing in March last year of the Philippine Coffee Industry Roadmap 2017-2022.

Piñol said “the resources to achieve the growth targets are in the national budget. At this point, extra efforts are being exerted to ensure that both traditional and additional interventions that are in line with the coffee roadmap are sufficiently funded.”

The secretary stressed that “interventions in areas like distribution of quality planting materials, mechanization, postharvest and processing facilities are at increased tempo.”

“The Philippine Coffee Council (PCC) has been established which should ensure the proper implementation of the coffee roadmap. There are sectoral commitments that are now part of the roadmap,” he said.

Aside from the national level PCC, 13 regional level councils have been formed to aid the national council in implementing the roadmap, attain the goal of making the Philippines coffee sufficient and hopefully, and to provide even a portion of the world’s need for coffee.

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez, in his speech during the event, spelled out President Duterte’s 10-point socio-economic agenda which seeks to achieve inclusive growth and shared prosperity.

Lopez said the agenda aims to broaden the gains of economic development, address inequality, and uplift the quality of life of all people.

“The expected result of these strategies is stated as: by 2022, the Philippines is producing 61 percent more than it consumption requirement. This is a big challenge but indeed if every industry player and enablers are one with this roadmap under the able and effective coordination of the Philippine Coffee Council at every level, we will get there, achieve the goal on time,” Lopez said.

Sen. Cynthia Villar, who was guest of honor at the event, called on the government to give more assistance to small coffee growers as she underscored the competitiveness of locally produced coffee beans.

“Majority of coffee farmers are smallholder farmers with average farm size of one to two hectares.So that is why we need to help the small farmers,” Villar said.

She urged farmers to venture into agrientrepreneurship, agri-tourism and acquire agriculture related training, which will help triple their income without having to leave their farms.

“Increasing production and farm productivity alone cannot move them permanently out of poverty. We must also teach small farmers capacity-building strategies and approaches to level up their knowledge and know how, to help them operate their small farms as agri-businesses to have alternative sources of income,” Villar said.