If there is one food that has not been missing in every household in Benguet province and nearby provinces in the Cordillera region, it is coffee (‘kape’) that at times served with sweet potato locally known as ‘dukto’.
Coffee has been present in every gathering, from meetings to rituals and important family gatherings in the town, and for coffee growers in the province, it is also a means of livelihood and alternative ways to earn additional income.
63-year-old Ms. Josefa Bengeg, member of the Bobok-Bisal Organic Arabica Coffee Producers and Growers Association, Inc. said that prior to the creation of their group, coffee farmers sell their produce to interested buyers who are visiting the community. Upon noticing the difference in the prices of coffee, the farmers decided to form an association in order to establish a common price and a better price for their coffee.
Although in their community, there are still farmers planting lemon, ornamental plants, and into vegetable farming. Farmers also venture in cultivating coffee in their backyards and lots to take chances on the cold climate in the town, added Ms. Bengeg.
Back in 2010, the group based in Bokod, Benguet was organized and the arrival of the DA-Second Cordillera Highland Agricultural Resource Management Project (CHARMP2) strengthened their association with the members attending seminars and trainings on coffee from pruning and post-harvest. A year later, the association officially registered with the Security and Exchange Commission.
In July 21, 2016, through the DA-CHARMP2, the group received a Php 100,000 Livelihood Assistance Fund (LAF) and in August 2019, they received additional funds in a form of a Matching Grant, a special window under the LAF amounting to Php 105, 000. This was intended for the post-harvest processing of Arabica coffee of the group.
For more than a decade, the group is engaged in the consolidation, processing, and marketing of coffee together with the support of the DA regional office.
Ms. Bengeg said that for the first quarter of 2021, their organization cannot consolidate coffee due to the lack of buyers because of the COVID-19 pandemic and presently,, the group is processing coffee in a small volume.
She also thanked the DA-RFO CAR for its support to the association and relayed the additional needs of their group which include sorting table, solar dryer, roasting machine (3-5 kilograms capacity), and training related to packaging and labeling.
The association with more than 50 members seeks to make their group become cooperative in the future.
In order to invite and engage more members of the community and the group into coffee farming, a policy has been made for the members of the group to plant five to 10 coffee trees annually. This resulted in more coffee trees being planted which timed during the onset of the rainy season. Coffee is also considered as the ‘One-Town-One-Product’ (OTOP) in their community. **DA-CAR
