By Danilo P. Padua, PhD
In 1978, Mountain State Agricultural College (now Benguet State University) started a plantation of Arabica coffee in its hilly property at barangay Puguis La Trinidad, Benguet. It was started by a long-retired professor, Ben Dimas in portions of a 60-hectare lot.
This makes BSU as the largest producer of Arabica coffee in CAR.
The plantation even caught the attention of the World Bank within 10 years after its establishment as it proved that Arabica coffee thrives underneath pine trees. That singular accomplishment however, did not catch fire among the local farmers.
Its about 30 years later in around 2009-2010 that a significant development in Arabica production became a bit visible. It was at this time that the La Trinidad Arabica Coffee Producers Association (LATACPA) was organized by the Office of the Municipal Agriculturist of La Trinidad.
Today, the association has 300 members from 7 barangays- Puguis, Shilan, Wangal, Beckel, Tawang, Lubas, Ambiong. That is, there are 7 separate associations from the mentioned barangays making LATACPA actually a federation. According to Ms. Nida Organo, the OIC municipal agriculturist, the membership is expected to increase further due to the OMAG’s intensified campaign for increased Arabica coffee production.
The production is considered a backyard endeavor. I happen to be in the office of Ms Organo during the Association’s meeting last week and talked to some of the members before their meeting started. Per information from the members, there are only 50 trees or a bit more being raised by individual farmers. Approximately, there are only 20,000 trees planted by farmers which were mostly provided by the OMAG starting in 2009.
Harvested yield only average 19-20 tons/year. This, however, reckons only those that pass thru the association. It does not include those sold to buyers who directly buy from farmers.
What makes the local Arabica coffee industry rosy is the increasing number of Manila-based buyers who are competing for the local produce.
The aforementioned meeting was aimed at consolidation of production and trade figures, standardization of prices, and other important concerns. Those are important considerations indeed as the coming in of various walk-in clients may result to a free-for-all which may eventually slowly nip in the bud the industry.
While Arabica coffee is only a secondary crop to the farmers (vegetable is still the main crop), all of them are in high spirits and tell positive stories about their coffee ventures. It is just a source of an added income. Sideline, so to speak, as the farmers even call it.
Currently, parchment coffee is sold for PhP400.00/kilo while green beans sell for PhP500/kilo. Quite a good price ,especially for a sideline income.
“We have to be serious about Arabica coffee production” the OIC municipal agriculturist said pointedly. She recognizes the emerging importance of the crop to the local economy, and I might hasten to add, to the local tourism industry in the near future.
The La Trinidad Sangguniang Bayan had already given the push for the crop by enacting way back in 2017, Ordinance #5 creating a Coffee Festival for the period Feb 7-10, which is supposed to be peak of the harvest period of the commodity. (What happened to that festival, by the way?)
Small as it may seem at the moment, Arabica coffee has its share of problems already which must be addressed pronto. There is the problem of pickers or laborers. They harvest the berries as they ripen and they have to do the priming at least 5x in a season. For this, maybe they could engage student labor from the BSU, particularly agroforestry and agriculture students. They could immediately discuss and sign an agreement with the university’s College of Agriculture for this. This will possibly solve availability of laborers. At the same time, it will also certainly help students in more ways than one.
Among others, there are also problems related to monsoon rains, windy conditions, attack of berry borer, unstable production on a yearly basis, seed capital, and technical management aspect. All of these can be addressed in continuing dialogues for sharing experiences in the presence of experts.
To nurture the budding industry, there should a sustained source of clean planting materials of the Red Bourbon and San Ramon varieties, the two major varieties being grown now by the farmers. Fertilizer support should be in place but it should be the right type. Water supply should be addressed as well. Market support is very vital too, together with proper up-to-date management practices.
The continuing help of the Dept of Science and Technology, the Dept of Trade and Industry, and even the Commission on Higher Education should be beneficial to the growth of the Arabica industry.
Proven very profitable, Arabica coffee production could help prevent soil erosion in sloping areas, protect the environment, enhance sustainability of farms, promote coffee-related businesses in the long run, and help brighten the economy of La Trinidad in general.
By the way, kudos to the women power that is in the forefront of the Arabica production promotion. Aside from the OIC, municipal agriculturist, LATACPA is headed by its lady Prexy, Mercedes A. Copas, while another lady farmer, Annielyn Tiongan, heads the Lubas Arabica Farmers Association. At least they were the ones that I met before their meeting last week.**
