BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya (PIA) — The Department of Agriculture (DA) is set to partner with a Canadian-based network of cooperative and mutual assistance enterprises to further develop the coffee industry and provide support to farmers in Nueva Vizcaya.
DA Regional Executive Director Rose Mary Aquino said they recently met with officials from SOCODEVI (Société de coopération pour le développement international) to explore potential collaboration opportunities with coffee farmers’ cooperatives and associations in Nueva Vizcaya.
SOCODEVI’s mission is to support the development of cooperatives and mutuals in developing countries, with a focus on promoting economic development, social justice, and environmental sustainability. In the Philippines, SOCODEVI aims to improve living conditions for families and communities through cooperative development.
Aquino revealed that SOCODEVI is expected to invest nine million Canadian dollars (approximately 260 million pesos) into the partnership project once the Memorandum of Agreement is finalized.
The targeted Farmers’ Cooperatives and Associations (FCAs) for the project are the Kasibu Coffee Growers Association, Bugkalot Coffee Growers Multi-purpose Cooperative, Tiblac Farmers Agriculture Cooperative, Kalahan Coffee Growers Association, and Kayapa Forestland Association Agriventures Inc.
“These groups have undergone clustering and consolidation, received interventions from the DA, and some have even benefited from assistance through the Philippine Rural Development Project,” Aquino said.
She added that three of the five cooperatives are currently involved in production, processing, and marketing, having reached Level 3 of clustering and consolidation.
Aquino emphasized that the partnership project would not only enhance the coffee industry in the province and region but also uplift the livelihoods of farmers across the country.
Carol Albay, the Regional High-Value Crops Development Program Focal Person, noted that the Cagayan Valley region ranks ninth in coffee production in the country, with small-holding farmers making up the majority of the coffee-growing population.
“The coffee sector is predominantly composed of small-holding farmers with an average farm size of 0.5 to 2 hectares. The region has a regional sufficiency rate of 70%, and per capita coffee consumption is 1.61 kg,” she explained.
Albay further elaborated that the total coffee production area in the region spans 23,691.55 hectares, broken down as follows: Coffee Arabica – 2,701.60 hectares; Coffee Excelsa – 1,504.70 hectares; Coffee Liberica – 147.70 hectares; and Coffee Robusta – 19,337.55 hectares.
The region’s coffee production includes 10,980,277 bearing trees, with a total production volume of 5,323.03 metric tons, making it an ideal area for partnership opportunities with SOCODEVI.
Coffee farmers in Nueva Vizcaya, who are now producing Class A coffee beans, also grow vegetables in various portions of the protected area as a supplementary livelihood. Their activities are being supervised and monitored by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). (OTB/BME/PIA Nueva Vizcaya)
