Coffee is becoming more popular with more demands, especially for gourmet coffee. Hence, there is a need to increase coffee supply in the region. This also appeals for more people with technical expertise on coffee farming.
However, the Philippine Coffee Industry is now facing various issues and concerns including the limited skills and technical know-how of coffee farmers; access to credit and markets; and number of traders and processors and their roles along the value chain.
The Agricultural Training Institute as the training arm of the Department of Agricultural conducted a region wide online Training of Trainers on Coffee Rehabilitation on 22 - 24 March 2021. The training generally aims to address the issues and concerns faced by the Philippine Coffee Industry. The three-day training was participated by 19 participants coming from the different municipal governments of Bohol, Cebu and Negros Oriental. Participants are agricultural extension workers and high value crops development program technicians from their respective municipalities.
The said training also supported the Republic Act (RA) No. 7900, “An Act to Promote the Production, Processing, Marketing and Distribution of High-Value Crops, Providing Funds, therefore, and for Other Purposes” or known as the High-Value Crops Development Act of 1995, which defines high-value crops (HVC) as crops other than traditional ones which include coffee.
The bigger goal for the Coffee Industry Council in Central Visayas is to create a “Coffee Branding” – a local coffee brand name coming from the region.
To expand the knowledge around coffee farming, trainers from this training will be doing another training session with different coffee farmers or aspiring coffee farmers as part of their re-entry plan.
“Before, I had taken for granted the planted coffee of my grandfather. I have not realized the commercial value of coffee back then. But this training has opened up my mind about the promising benefit if you go into coffee farming. Now, I am bended to a new learning,” said Judy Averia - one of the training participants.
The training was facilitated by Joemelyn Sumagang, Project Officer and assisted by Quennie Lou Vistal and Maryjane Flor Patulilic as members of the training management team. John Dennis Ranario and Meriam Sacamay from the Department of Agriculture in Region VII, and Henry Binahon from Binahon Agroforestry Farm in Bukidnon served as resource persons during the said training.