Koronadal City, South Cotabato — The Provincial Government of South Cotabato continues to strengthen initiatives aimed at improving coffee quality and expanding coffee production areas through technical assistance, farmer training, and community-based agricultural programs.
Through the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPAG) and its partner agencies, the province is focusing on quality coffee production as part of its long-term goal of developing a sustainable and competitive coffee industry.
Coffee and Cacao Focal Person Marites Gumbao noted that one of the major initiatives under the program is the establishment of community-based coffee nurseries, including a 5,000-seedling Arabica nursery in Upper Sepaka, Surallah. Located at approximately 800 meters above sea level, the area is considered suitable for high-quality Arabica coffee production.
“At present, there are at least 2,650 areas planted with coffee covering a total of 1,236.9 hectares, with production reaching 1,011.45 metric tons,” Gumbao said.
As part of its ongoing interventions, the province is implementing programs under the DAGYAW Program (Development on Agriculture Growth Yearning for the Active Welfare of South Cotabato), which supports coffee, cacao, and abaca development through inter-agency collaboration.
The province is also encouraging crop diversification by promoting the conversion of corn areas into permanent coffee plantations in suitable locations.
Interested farmers are being profiled and provided technical assistance through the Municipal Agriculture Offices (MAOs), city agriculture offices, and OPAG. Farmers are also being trained in coffee production management, post-harvest handling, and quality improvement practices.
“We also have 38 Farmers’ Cooperatives and Associations across the province with a total of 2,560 farmers. We hope to encourage more farmers to participate in this commodity,” Gumbao added.
Gumbao emphasized that South Cotabato’s coffee development strategy focuses on producing high-quality coffee that can compete in specialty markets while strengthening the province’s growing coffee tourism industry.
The provincial government continues to encourage coffee farmers to participate in training activities and industry forums to further enhance their knowledge and improve market opportunities for locally produced coffee.
