TUBA, Benguet – Members of the Tuba Benguet Coffee Growers Association (TUBENGCOGA) are optimistic about the robust growth of the coffee industry in the municipality following the increasing number of farmers wanting produce coffee.
Shirley Palao-ay, TUBENGCOGA president, said from a membership of 35 in 2007, the group now has a total membership of 129 with 50 percent already harvesting from their coffee plantations while the remaining 50 percent just started planting.
“We are elated over the interest shown by a good number of local farmers in planting coffee in their own farms because we believe that the coffee industry will exponentially improve in the future primarily due to the support being extended to the industry by concerned government agencies,” Palao-ay stressed.
The TUBENGCOGA official claimed their 40-hectare coffee plantation sites in the 13 barangays of the town have an annual production of more or less 3.5 tons of coffee beans sold to traders at P300 per kilo.
According to her, the overall production of the local coffee farmers could increase to more than 5 tons within the next several years when farmers who planted this year will start harvesting their coffee beans.
TUBENGCOGA is one of the coffee growers association being supported by government agencies to help improve the quality of their beans geared towards the high-end market locally and globally.
Palao-ay expressed her interest in attending the 2nd National Coffee Congress in Baguio City next week to network with buyers and guarantee a market for their coffee beans further encouraging more farmers cultivate coffee in available lands in the municipality.
Palao-ay claimed in order to succeed in the production of quality Arabica coffee beans, farmers must have the passion and interest to tend to the coffee plants until these will produce beans ready for the interested buyers.
She added it will take three years for the coffee plants to produce quality coffee beans.
Palao-ay said their organization is open to farmers wanting to actively participate in coffee production, provided that, they have the sincerity and dedication to succeed in the new endeavour.
Coffee is one of the most traded products in the world second to oil, thus, the bright prospect for the local coffee industry in the coming years once farmers get the appropriate support from concerned government agencies to improve the quality of planting materials and proper processing for them to be able to improve their produce.
By HENT
