DAVAO CITY—Describing it as the “aroma of income” for coffee farmers, the Caraga regional office of the Department of Agriculture (DA) donated a roasting facility worth P2 million to a farmers’ co-operative in Tagbina, Surigao del Sur to upgrade its coffee production.
“It would be a smooth aroma and high income for them,” said the DA-Caraga as it turned over the facility to the San Nicolas Development Co-operative, mostly composed of women members. Their farms are located in Sitio San Nicolas, Barangay Doña Carmen in the municipality of Tagbina.
The facility was funded through the High-Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) of the DA. Of the amount, P800,000 went for building construction and P1.2 million for the facilities, including a dryer.
Rebecca Reyes Atega, DA’s regional technical director for operations, expressed optimism that the facility would enhance the recipients’ livelihood through coffee-processing motivated by their passion for the product.
“These coffee farmers aim to develop the most aromas from the Arabica coffee harvested through proper roasting techniques,” she said.
Engr. Ricardo M. Oñate Jr., DA-Caraga regional director urged the cooperative “to look beyond and extend help to other farmers through consolidation.”
“Nowadays, we need to have an economy of scale through consolidation of products for better market advantage, so more farmers will be encouraged to plant more, in support of DA’s Plant, Plant, Plant Program or Agri4Ps,” he noted.
Marco Antonio Morido, HVCDP regional coordinator, emphasized to farmers “to follow the right technology for coffee production to maintain a high quality of produce.”“As we are urging our coffee farmers to follow the right technology, we at DA-Caraga is also embarking on a production enhancement through rehabilitation, rejuvenation, and fertilization of the coffee farms in the region,” Morido said.
He added the DA was working with local government units to help boost the coffee industry in their respective locality.
Based on Philippine Statistics Authority data, the volume of production of coffee in the region was recorded at 1,622.24 metric tons last year, wherein the province of Surigao del Sur contributed 85 percent.
Tagbina Municipal Mayor Generoso L. Naraiso, Provincial Agriculturist Marcos M. Quico, Municipal Agriculturist Warlito D. Untua and officials from the Department of Trade and Industry and Cooperative Development Authority attended the turnover of the facility.