The second phase of the training on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) for quality coffee production for the Proponent Groups (PGs) of the Benguet Arabica Coffee Enterprise (BACE) was continued on February 14-15 in Baguio City. 

Participating PG representatives are from the following: Atok Arabica Coffee Growers Marketing Cooperative (ACOGMAC), Abiang Community Multipurpose Cooperative (ACMPC), Kapangan Arabica Coffee Producers Association (KACPA); Tuba Benguet Coffee Growers Association, and La Trinidad Arabica Coffee Producers Association (LATACPA). Representatives from the DA-Baguio Animal Breeding Research Center (BABRC) also participated in the training.

The training was facilitated by the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) in partnership with the Agricultural Cooperative Development International/Volunteers in Overseas Cooperative Assistance (ACDI/VOCA) – Philippine Coffee Advancement and Farmers Enterprise (PhilCAFE) Project.

The GAP training intends to introduce and cascade the Coffee Mentorship strategy of the PhilCAFE to the PGs in order to achieve a wider reach of farmers in the use of appropriate practices; provide an experimental method of learning and adoption of farming practices and technology for coffee farmer beneficiaries and project implementers; and capacitate the farmers to qualify and enter local/international coffee competition to add more value for their coffee beans.

As the first phase of the training focused on farm production practices, care and maintenance among others, the second phase focused on discussions and hands-on activities on proper coffee harvesting, raw materials characterization, and different coffee processing methods. Topics on coffee drying protocols, de-hulling and warehousing were also tackled. 

Prior to the discussions, the participants were first tasked to list down and present their current practices in terms of harvesting, postharvest handling, and processing of coffee. After the discussions and actual activities were held, the participants were able to distinguish which practice they need to change over in order to produce quality coffee. 

On behalf of the participants, LATACPA President Arthur Shontogan expressed his gratefulness to the facilitators for the continuous conduct of capability trainings on coffee for them to continuously improve the quality of their produce.

PhilCAFE Project Regional Coordinator Christine D. Abellon urged the coffee growers to practice what they have learned from the GAP training series and share it to their fellow coffee growers. She also encouraged the coffee groups to submit their entries to the upcoming Philippine Quality Coffee Competition (PCQC). ### Elvy T. Estacio (DA-PRDP RPCO-CAR Writer)