Coffee industry players told to invest, focus on value chain

COFFEE industry players have been encouraged to invest and focus on the whole value chain of the industry, from “farming to trade, bean to cup.”

Nicholas A. Matti, chair of the Philippine Coffee Board, Inc. (PCBI), said that the coffee industry has the potentials to provide steadfast economic growth in the country.

“In our pursuit to promote further coffee in the country, we will be staging anew the National Coffee Summit this year, this time we have invited coffee leaders from the Asean Coffee Federation to attend and speak at our annual event,” he said.

Now on its 8th year, the summit formally opened yesterday at SMX Convention Center. It is among the highlights of the coffee month celebration with the staging of Coffee Festival 2015 dubbed as “Coffee Origins.”

The coffee festival opened Wednesday night at the Abreeza Mall of Davao and will run until October 25.

“At the summit, networking with other coffee stakeholders around the Philippines and most especially the Asean associates were highlighted. The event was a great opportunity that can affect the direction of the Philippine coffee industry,” Matti said.

“Participating coffee players and even those aspiring to be part of the industry will surely experience and learn from this important gathering of coffee experts around the Asia Pacific region,” he added.

During the summit, some of prominent speakers who graced the event were Thelonious Trimmell of Acdi/ Voca who presented his Mindanao project to raise the bar of quality Philippine coffee; Victor Mah, president of Singapore Coffee Association, Founder of the Asean Coffee Federation, who shared his views on the role of Asean coffees in the world market; Oliver Broster from Bero Coffee Singapore who talked about The Global Coffee Market; and Philip Dizon, president of Mt. Apo Civet Coffee on the the Philippine response to the Asean Coffee Challenge, among others.