Local coffee farmers are prepared for the upcoming El Niño season, an official from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said.
During Wednesday’s Media Forum at the Habi at Kape on May 10, DTI Davao Oriental Provincial Director Art Hermoso said that with the help of the Department of Agriculture, the farms are prepared for the onslaught of El Nino.
Some of the measures that are being readied are sprinklers and free-flowing water at the coffee farms, according to Hermoso.
“It’s not a problem because the water system in there is already available,” she said.
Hermoso also said that the warmer season is actually advantageous for coffee farmers since it helps with the production of flowers.
The El Niño season has no effect on the production of local coffee as well, she added.
“Based on the entries for the Philippine Quality Coffee Competition (PCQC), it seems that El Niño doesn’t affect the production so far because we have a lot of entries participating for the competition,” she said.
For Davao Region, there are 29 entries consisting of farmers with 120 kilos of coffee each that submitted entries for the competition. Among those, 23 entries are of the Arabica variety and 6 entries are of the Robusta variety.
PCQC is an annual coffee competition that recognizes and promotes the best quality coffees in the Philippines to domestic and international markets to benefit producers, market actors, and consumers.
As of May 2, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) forecasted that El Niño may emerge in June-July-August at 80% probability and may persist until the first quarter of 2024.
