Anti-poverty programs pushed to boost coffee farming industry

CEBU, Philippines - Stakeholders are aiming to expand production and markets of coffee growers in the municipality of Tuburan in Cebu, according to the National Economic and Development Authority.

Cebu stakeholders identified the coffee industry as potential driver of inclusive growth, as part of government's Accelerated and Sustainable Anti-Poverty Program (ASAPP) launched last year.

NEDA in Region 7 discussed with local government units, private enterprises and community members to come up a poverty-reduction program for Tuburan's coffee industry.

"Based on coffee site visits and an assessment of the 2,000 hectares currently planted to coffee in Tuburan, the ASAPP Cebu team developed various technical assistance projects to enable the town’s local coffee growers sector to increase production and sell to wider markets," NEDA said. These include technical aid on coffee production, coffee handling practices and post-harvest facilities.

NEDA said there's also a need to provide coffee seedlings and funds for fertilizers, and for post-harvest facilities and machinery for coffee bean processing. The local industry should also be part of commercial value chains.

The ASAPP Cebu team is composed of Tuburan's local government and its coffee farmers' organizations.

Private firms Bo’s Coffee and the Philippine Retailers Association were also involved in the project.

Tuburan coffee farmers have been growing and harvesting coffee beans for the past five years but have been challenged of having regular and established markets.

There are currently 700-900 coffee farmers in Tuburan who are planting a total area of 2,000 hectares.

Bo's Coffee, a Cebuano firm, had expressed buying the coffee harvest of Tuburan coffee farmers. (FREEMAN)