MALAYBALAY, Bukidnon (Oct. 29)—Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. called for a broader partnership between the private sector, the government and farmers’ cooperatives to develop a sustainable coffee industry in Mindanao, particularly in light of the challenges posed by climate change and enhancing local competitiveness.
“Embracing collaboration for collective action to enhance farmers’ resilience and profitability is essential. This approach must define and characterize our united front in addressing current challenges and also to take advantage of increasing local market demand for coffee,” Secretary Tiu Laurel stated during his visit to the Northern Mindanao Agricultural Crops and Livestock Research Complex, which hosts Nestlé Philippines’ Bukidnon Integrated Coffee Center.
The DA chief emphasized that thru effective collaboration, we can overcome the devastation caused by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine, and beef-up the scalability of Mindanao as the country’s food basket in the South. “Neither the government nor the private sector, acting separately, will be effective in addressing challenges caused by climate change and we need to rise above issues that can further dampen local supply. We must rely on partnerships among multiple stakeholders to establish resilient and sustainable coffee value chains that support local growers as we aim to shape a better future in this new milieu,” he added.
Secretary Tiu Laurel highlighted that collaboration among farmers, Nestlé, the German Federal Ministry, local government agricultural offices, the Department of Agriculture’s High-Value Crops Development Program, and other agencies through the DA’s Mindanao Coffee Robusta Project has resulted in a doubling of coffee communities in Bukidnon and Sultan Kudarat, now totaling 3,000 communities. This effort has also led to increased coffee yields and farmers’ incomes.
“This collaboration has resulted in better bean quality and an increased average yield of up to 0.8 metric tons per hectare, up from a low of 0.3 metric tons. Consequently, farmers’ incomes have risen by 35 percent or more in some areas,” the DA chief noted.
The coffee project aims to increase coffee farms yield to 2 metric tons per hectare, putting the country’s production at par with Vietnam by 2025.
During the event, Secretary Tiu Laurel distributed P6.5 million worth of assistance, including fertilizers and funding for the establishment of coffee centers, to 16 farmers’ groups participating in the Mindanao Coffee Robusta Project. He expressed gratitude to Mindanao coffee farmers for their resilience and pledged the government’s support for “the real but unsung heroes” of the Philippine coffee industry.
According to the Philippine Coffee Board, the country produced 30,000 metric tons of green coffee beans last year, slightly higher than the 29,957 metric tons produced in 2022.
With rising global demand for coffee, the DA chief emphasized the urgency of fostering broader, multi-agency partnerships. He expressed optimism that this collaboration between the government and the private sector could help the Philippines set benchmarks for coffee production excellence.
The global coffee market size was estimated at USD 223.78 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 5.4 percent from 2024 to 2030, driven by the beverage’s increasing popularity in Asia and the Pacific, according to Grand View Research, an India- and US-based market research and consulting company. ###
