Sagada, Mountain Province – Coffee farmers in Mountain Province underwent training on post-harvest management last February 24-25, 2016.

Participants came from these organizations: Besao Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MPC); Tadian MPC; Dangdang-ay Di I-Bila MPC; Maggon Rural Improvement Club; and Bagnen-Balintaogan-Timpuyog Cooperative (BaBaTiCo). Representatives from the Provincial Project Management and Implementing Unit (PPMIU) and from the Kibungan Arabica Coffee Growers MPC were also present and participated in the training.

During the two-day training, Simeon Goad Sibayan, owner of the Bana’s Café located in Sagada and an in-house training consultant on Coffee 101 discussed the current scenario of coffee in the Cordillera and the challenges in the coffee industry, minimum global standard for coffee, and Arabica coffee cultivars.

Bulk of his discussion focused on post-harvest management specifically harvesting, processing (dry, wet, semi-dry method), hulling, sorting, proper storage, and a gist on roasting. A coffee cupping was also done to allow the participants to determine the taste of an Arabica cultivar from another.

Following the lectures is a site visit to the coffee farm of Sibayan. During the tour, he further explained the area suitability of Arabica cultivars as per climatic condition and elevation, the importance of trees that serves as shade to the coffee plants, and demonstrated the proper way of harvesting coffee berries.

He also shared some of his experiences in the coffee farming industry and advised the participants to harvest coffee berries with joy.

To wrap up the discussions on post-harvest, the participants visited the processing center of Sagada Arabica Coffee Growers People’s Organization (SACGPO). Actual demonstrations on coffee processing from hulling of parchments, sorting of green beans, roasting, grinding, and packaging were conducted.

Meanwhile, the proponent groups of the Mt. Province Coffee Arabica Enterprise are expected to start trading coffee green beans using their own resources while the Business Plan is on process for approval.

Capability trainings are conducted to ensure that post-harvest equipment requested by the proponent groups will be properly utilized once the operation of the enterprise commence.

The training was undertaken in response to the request of Besao MPC, lead proponent to train members of the cooperatives covered by the Mt. Province Coffee Arabica Enterprise on proper post-harvest handling of their product. (Elvy Taquio, DA-PRDP RPCO-CAR InfoACE Unit)

On-site demonstration of sorting of coffee green beans at the processing center of Sagada Coffee Growers Peoples Organization (SACGPO) demonstrated by Vincent Andawe, the manager of the organization.