LANDBANK SUPPORTS COFFEE SUMMIT

PCBI President Chit Juan and Landbank Vice President Catherine Rowena B. Villanueva

The state-owned Landbank of the Philippines (LBP) will be hosting the 6^th National Coffee Summit in cooperation with the Philippine Coffee Board Inc. (PCBI) on October 23, 2013 at the Diosdado Macapagal Hall, Landbank Plaza, Malate, Manila.

The annual conference will feature success stories in coffee production from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, which may serve as inspiration to would-be farmers, OFW retirees, Landbank clients and the general public.  Attendees of past summits have started their own farms, or have otherwise gone into businesses related to coffee.

The country consumes about 100,000MT of coffee but only grows 25,000MT, and the level has not gone up due to continuous conversion of coffee lands to industrial and residential uses. “In Cavite alone, we have seen the coffee land area shrink year on year from 14,000 in the 90s to about 7000 hectares today,” say Nicholas Matti, PCBI chair and Summit in-charge.

The decline in near-urban areas have gone unabated due to increase in land prices.  However, continuous work by the PCBI with the Department of Agriculture, Department of Trade and Industry and Department of Agrarian Reform have seen new farmers planting in new areas like Bohol, Negros Occidental and Cotabato.

“We would like to showcase these successful new farmers,” according to Matti. “They attended our previous summits and went to work immediately,” he continues. Now, these new farmers are showing results in increased land areas planted to coffee.

The PCBI and DOST-PCAARRD have also partnered in coffee research headed by PCB director Dr. Alejandro Mojica of Cavite State University. “It’s all about partnerships,” says Chit Juan, PCBI president. Where we do not have funds, other agencies and institutions partner with us to make use of the wealth of information and experience from members of the Coffee Board.

Even Landbank will now be more active in supporting coffee farmers all over the country. It also is supporting local coffee by serving only coffees harvested from farmer groups and other organizations tapped by the Phil. Coffee Board, Inc.

Those interested in meeting potential partners and those wanting to get into coffee must attend this summit. It is a whole-day affair from 830am to 5pm. Lunch and snacks and seminar materials will be provided. Please register by email to admin.pcbi@gmail.com or call Chat Adelante at 813-1028.