Coffee farmers from Bukidnon successfully finished their Coffee Production Technology and Agripreneurship Training last March 25, 2022.

The training was initiated by the I-PLAN component of PRDP Mindanao in partnership with the Department of Agriculture 10; Nestle Philippines, Inc; and the Provincial Local Government of Bukidnon with the aim of providing coffee farmers in the province with the skills to become agripreneurs. As an added incentive, farmers who were able to complete the training are also given an allowance and starter kit to allow them to follow through on their learnings and sustain their coffee production.

According to PRDP PSO Mindanao’s I-PLAN component head, Cerenio Tila, the activity is part of PRDP’s commitment under the interagency convergence to support the coffee industry in Bukidnon which was identified by Nestle as impact areas for coffee production.

Three batches of trainings were held in the two coffee producing municipalities of Pangantucan and Maramag last March 7-11, March 14-18 and March 21-25 with a total of 71 farmers graduating the five-day course.

“Through this series of trainings, we are providing support to enhance the technical capabilities of Coffee Ambassadors or COFAMs in good agricultural practices and entrepreneurial skills,” Tila said. “This is part of PRDP’s pump priming support to develop the coffee industry in Mindanao which is in partnership with Nestle Philippines, a big private player in the coffee industry.”

Tila adds that the aim of the convergence initiative for coffee is to put in place a mechanism that will bring together the value chain enablers who can provide support to improve the coffee industry in the Province of Bukidnon and help implement the Commodity Investment Plan of the Provincial Local Government.

In line with this, PRDP Mindanao is pushing for the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Provincial Local Government Unit of Bukidnon (PLGU-Buk), PRDP PSO-Mindanao, DA-RFO 10, Nestle Phils, Inc., ACDI/VOCA, ATI, TESDA, DTI-Bukidnon, and DOST-Bukidnon for the development of the coffee industry in the Province of Bukidnon and to support the implementation of the commodity investment plan of the province. Once signed, the MOU will serve as an instrument to institutionalize support from the value chain enablers by addressing key challenges and gaps affecting the coffee industry in Bukidnon.

“There is a need for synergistic partnership among coffee enablers and stakeholders to mainstream support to the Provincial Local Government of Bukidnon to implement its Provincial Commodity Investment Plan and revive or develop the coffee industry in the province,” said Tila.

Trainings for coffee farmers have also been conducted in Sultan Kudarat for the convergence initiative for coffee in the province. (Joseph John Palarca | PSO Mindanao)