2nd Ifugao coffee congress to address unemployment
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LAGAWE, Ifugao (Oct. 11) — “Paving the way for an alternative and sustained source of livelihood for the Ifugao farmers” was the theme of the 2nd Coffee Congress here Tuesday.
“This is the second Ifugao Coffee Congress,” said Carmen Himmiwat of the Department of Agriculture (DA-CAR) who talked about investment matching and the coffee business. The 1st Ifugao Coffee Congress was held sometime in 1997.
According to Himmiwat, the Coffee Congress was conducted to address the unemployment issue of the province by providing sustainable livelihood for the people.
The coffee business is a growing industry and Ifugao is one of the suitable sites for coffee plantations given its terrain and climate, she added.
In his opening remarks Ifugao Governor Teddy Baguilat Jr. stressed that the people need to have a business sense. “Coffee trees would be a big help to the watershed management program and preservation of rice terraces aside from making them commercially viable,” he added.
Representatives from the Figaro Coffee Company discussed investment opportunities for coffee growers. Figaro is one of the largest coffee buyers in the region. It encourages and facilitates production of quality indigenous coffee while championing the cause of coffee to help farmers live a better life giving them the price their coffee produce deserves.
Figaro’s Roland Fersti said having a business sense is also taking into consideration the volume and quality of coffee products for higher product value. He envisions the province with its own coffee brand taking Kalinga’s Kalinga Brew and Kalinga Blend as an example.
Some 230 participants from different municipalities of Ifugao mostly composed of municipal agriculturists and farmers were in the congress. Inputs were given in the morning and a workshop was conducted in the afternoon.
During the workshop the participants came up with their coffee production plans starting from training of farmers, acquisition of coffee seedlings specifically organic Arabica seedlings as it is the most high priced coffee variety, and possible construction of a provincial coffee production center.
Baguilat also asked the commitment of coffee growers to meet the coffee volume and quality required by buyers.
He aims added income and employment for Ifugao farmers through the coffee industry thus he is working on connecting with coffee companies such as Figaro for the marketing of Ifugao coffee products.
To date, the municipality of Lagawe and Mayoyao had identified coffee as their One Town One Product (OTOP). Other Ifugao municipalities are on their way in taking coffee as their agricultural product.
Meanwhile, the Benguet Coffee Congress was held Friday in La Trinidad. # Robie Halip for NORDIS
