THE Philippine Coffee Board, Inc. (PCBI) said at least P6 billion will be needed over 10 years to upgrade coffee production to self-sufficiency levels.
In a briefing on Monday, Pacita U. Juan, president and co-chair of PCBI, said that the government must work towards building up capacity on a staggered basis.
“The government has to spend P600 million a year in 10 years to get to self-sufficiency. But those are very conservative figures because you can do maybe more than 1,000 seedlings per hectare,” Ms. Juan said.
PCBI estimates that the coffee industry produces 30,000-33,000 metric tons (MT) a year, well short of estimated demand of 150,000-200,000 MT.
The PCBI said that it is currently exploring a partnership with the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) for a coffee intercropping program within coconut farms.
Alejandro C. Mojica, a director at PCBI, said that the board is currently in talks with the PCA for the potential partnership.
“If we partner with PCA, it will be easier for us to locate the hectares that the coffee industry needs,” Mr. Mojica said. “According to the PCA, they have readily available one million hectares.”
The PCBI said that the industry needs 171,428 hectares to service coffee demand, assuming that each hectare produces 700 kilograms of coffee.
Ms. Juan said a model pilot farm for intercropping could be built by June.
“We want the PCA to consider us because they have the budget. We can help them (with their own objectives),” Mr. Mojica said.
The PCA is tasked with improving coconut farmer livelihoods and has access to a trust fund built up from recovered coconut levy assets.
An intercropping program would put the PCBI in a technical-assistance and marketing-support role.
Mr. Mojica said the main constraint for the coffee industry is seedlings, which is why the PCBI is proposing that each region build a nursery.
The PCBI said that around 120 million seedlings are needed, at a unit cost of P50 if the nurseries are to earn a suitable profits. — Justine Irish D. Tabile
