Sulu heats up coffee trade, vows help to local growers

Gov. Sakur Tan has vowed to support local coffee farmers in an effort to further strengthen the industry in the province, which supplies organic coffee cherries to various buyers across the country.

The province is popularly known for its coffee industry because of the high quality Arabica and Robusta beans it produces.

Tan donated a hand tractor and fencing wires to the Sulu Coffee Industry Federation and he committed to provide it with a variety of coffee seedlings to add to its productions —Arabica, Robusta, Excelsa and Liberica — which have radically different taste profiles.

Abdurajik Darusalam, secretary of the Sulu Coffee Industry Federation, said they are targeting to plant more varieties of coffee beans in 250 hectares of agricultural lands in the next five years.

He added that they have established two pilot coffee farms in the towns of Talipao and two more in Indanan town.

“We want to strengthen the local coffee industry by improving quality, increase productivity, and train more farmers and provide livelihood to many people, and help the economy and promote good quality Kahawa Sug (Sulu coffee),” Darusalam said.

Darusalam said they plan to invest and expand the group’s post-harvest facilities to improve production output.

He thanked Tan for his strong support and donations to the coffee industry.

Tan previously launched a coffee processing center in an effort to boost coffee production and eventually help local cooperatives as part of a massive agricultural program that aims to provide additional livelihood to farmers.

He said Sulu is one of the major producers of high quality coffee beans — Arabica and Robusta — and is the most sought-after not only in the Philippines, but other Asian and European countries as well because of their distinct aroma and flavor.

Tan urged farmers and fisherfolk to form themselves into cooperatives and avail of the many various projects of the provincial government.

He said he would also build a school, which would specialize in agriculture and fisheries and offer free education to all in the province.