THE DAVAO Coffee Council revealed that coffee production in Mt. Apo declined by 60% at present.
In an interview, Felicitas Pantoja, Coffee Davao Council chairman, said farmers in Mt. Apo, known for producing ‘internationally acclaimed’ coffee, now harvest more than 10 tons of beans during the harvest season.
“Kung noon nakaka-produce ng 110 tons ang Mt. Apo, ngayon less na. Sa isang coffee farm cluster, swerte ka na kung may 10 tons sila. That’s around a 60% decrease. Mt. Apo still has the biggest farm, that’s where we get Arabica and Robusta,” Pantoja said.
She also said out of the 80% coffee drinkers in the country, only 20% were supplied by farmers.
In line with this, Pantoja urged different sectors to sponsor coffee farmers for their upcoming regional coffee expo to give farmers an idea of the coffee demand in the country.
“We wanted to gather more farmers, para makita nila ‘yung life of coffee dito sa urban areas. We wanted to appeal to those people who can sponsor farmers to attend the event. Because they are the ones who would be expanding the plantations,” she said.
She also noted that coffee production experienced a decrease due to climate change and the rejuvenation of other farmers.
“The government also introduced other programs to our coffee farmers which made them switch to other agricultural commodities,” she added.
The Davao Coffee Council also invites enthusiasts and industry professionals to participate in the biggest annual Regional Coffee Expo at the Davao Convention and Trade Center on Sept. 20-21.
The coffee expo will feature unique Davao specialty coffee, especially the Arabica coffee cultivated in Davao del Sur’s foothills of Mount Apo.
