CITY OF TABUK, Kalinga (PIA) -- The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has organized the Kalinga Coffee Quality Competition as one of the highlights of the 29th Kalinga founding anniversary and 5th Bodong Festival this February, in a bid to push the province’s coffee industry. 

Jeffrey Pasikan of DTI Kalinga provincial office said the competition features major preparation for the Kalinga robusta brewed coffee from sorting selected beans, grading, roasting and cupping.

Fabulous prizes await winners, and will get a chance to compete in the Philippine Coffee Quality Competition, where the Kalinga coffee was ranked among the country’s top 5 coffee in 2019.

Last year, the Special Award in the Best Honey-Processed Coffee (Robusta Category) was awarded to Jun Gumabay of Balbalan, Kalinga.

Pasikan said coffee is Kalinga’s One Town One Product (OTOP). Through government intervention, coffee producers and processors are equipped with improved technology in coffee cupping.  

However, this major cash crop is facing issues on  production areas due to massive conversion of coffee plantations into corn lands among farmers.

The province’s coffee average annual production of 2,300 metric tons has dropped to less than 2,000 metric tons due to the problem, Pasikan noted.

The provincial government in an effort to help rejuvenate the dwindling coffee industry has released the amount of P4 million last year, and another P4 million this year for the establishment of coffee demo-farms and other technological intervention. (LL-PIA CAR, Kalinga)