by Ericson M. Guiao, PSO North Luzon InfoACE

In partnership with the Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP), a Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) mentorship cascading activity was held for coffee farmer proponent groups from the Cordillera and Cagayan Valley regions from October 21 to 25 in Sagada, Mountain Province.

The said activity intends to introduce and cascade the knowledge gained from the previous training with the Agricultural Cooperative Development International/Volunteers in Overseas Cooperative Assistance (ACDI/VOCA) – Philippine Coffee Advancement and Farmers Enterprise (PhilCAFE) Project to enhance the skills of other coffee farmers and participants in GAP for an improved quality of coffee production and an increase in income.

Specifically, it seeks to: 1) raise awareness of proper coffee production management, 2) develop Coffee Mentors in alignment with PhilCAFE’s strategy, 3) provide hands-on experience in proper coffee production practices, and d) equip farmers with the skills necessary to qualify for local or international coffee competitions.

Coffee farmer participants were from the Kalinga Coffee Cluster (Dupligan Farmers MPC (DUFAMPCO), Gawidan Malin-awa Marketing Cooperative (GMMC), Tanudan Savings and Lending Cooperative (TASALECO), Benguet Arabica Coffee Enterprise (Tuba Benguet Coffee Growers Association (TUBENGCOGA), La Trinidad Arabica Coffee Producers Association (LATACPA), Tabamo Olang Livelihood Project Organization (TOLPO), Kibungan Arabica Coffee Growers MPC (KACGMPC), Mountain Province PGs (Bagnen Balintaugan Timpuyog Credit Cooperative (BABATICO), Sagada Arabica Coffee Growers and Processors Organization (SACGPO), and Aliwes Irrigators Association (ALIWES). From the Cagayan Valley region, participants were Tiblak Farmers Agriculture Cooperative (TibFAC) and Mataga-ay Coffee Growers Producers Cooperative (MCGPC).

The training was jointly facilitated by the DA-PRDP I-REAP Component of the National Project Coordination Office (NPCO) and Project Support Office (PSO) North Luzon, together with the farmer members of the HOJAP Multipurpose Cooperative, who served as the session lecturers.

The first day kicked off with a lecture on coffee market potential, where participants were divided into groups representing different coffee varieties—Arabica, Robusta, Excelsa, and Liberica. Each group created market maps, identified buyers, and calculated purchasing volumes.

Succeeding sessions covered Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) for coffee, including production, care, and maintenance. Participants calculated their break-even points by analyzing costs associated with land, seeds, labor, materials, and more.

They also learned about Integrated Pest and Disease Management and engaged in hands-on activities, sorting fresh coffee berries and measuring sugar content with Brix meters. The workshop capped off with discussions on post-harvest processing techniques, from pulping to drying, and a sensory appreciation session where farmers practiced cupping. ###