DAVAO CITY – Specialty Arabica coffee farmers from Davao del Sur have cornered five top awards at the 2021 Philippine Coffee Quality Competition (PCQC) during the virtual Philippine Coffee Expo on Wednesday.
In a statement Thursday, the Department of Agriculture (DA) in Region 11 or Davao Region said that out of the 103 farmers who joined the search for growers of the best Arabica coffee, Marites Sevilla Arellano won the top award followed by Lendilou Flores Loon in second place.
Also making it to the list of awardees for the same category were Justine Dubria (third place), Marefil dela Cerna (fourth place), and Ma. Luz Dubria (sixth place).
The five winners are all from Bansalan town, DA-11 Coffee Rejuvenation Project focal person John Paul Matuguinas told the Philippine News Agency.
Sevilla attributed her achievement to the new technologies in coffee farming, harvesting, and processing introduced to them by the DA.
“If you see coffee farming as a business, there should always be that eagerness to learn and expose yourself to various technologies from the experts,” she said.
Sevilla is just one of the many coffee farmers who sought the assistance of various agencies to improve their coffee production.
The PCQC is a competition for the best coffee of Philippine origin participated in by farmers and entities engaged.
It seeks to increase the consciousness of Filipino farmers on coffee quality and enhance their competitiveness in the domestic and international markets.
Based on PCQC standards, coffee beans must have at least a grade of 80 percent to be considered a specialty coffee.
The closer to 100 a coffee sample gets, the more likely it will command a higher price and increased demand from specialty roasters.
Through the DA-11 High-Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) Coffee Rejuvenation Project, which started on October 5, 2016, the agency has provided a package of assistance that includes close release fertilizer, pruning shears and pruning saw for coffee rejuvenation and post-harvest and processing facilities such as tramline system, dryers, a roasting facility, hauling truck, and mini-storage.
"It would be difficult for us to adhere to the standards required by our buyers was it not for DA's assistance," Sevilla said.
Meanwhile, DA-11 Regional Executive Director Ricardo M. Oñate thanked the coffee farmers in the region for being active partners of the agency in improving product quality through strengthened partnerships.
“I would like to congratulate our coffee farmers for making it big not just in the local but in the international markets. Your dedication and commitment to supporting the agency’s programs and projects have inspired us to do more for the benefit of our farming communities,” Oñate said.
Matuguinas said they are currently working to increase the yield of the world-renowned Arabica coffee nestled at the foothills of Mt. Apo.
"When trees used to be old and rundown, making spraying, pruning and harvesting more laborious and expensive. Most of the trees were also badly damaged by pests and diseases including natural calamities," he said.
Matuguinas said coffee trees should undergo rejuvenation to replace damaged branches so that they will bear berries in commercial quantities. (PNA)
The Philippine News Agency is a web-based newswire service of the Philippine government under the supervision of the News and Information Bureau (NIB) of the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).