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NESTLÉ, DA10-NOMIARC TO BRING THE LATEST COFFEE FARMING TECHNOLOGIES CLOSER TO BUKIDNON FARMERS PARTNERSHIP TO HELP EXPAND COFFEE-RESOURCE BASE TO ADDRESS THE SUPPLY-DEMAND GAP FOR COFFEE
Department of Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, DA High-Value Crops Development Program Head Jennifer Remoquillo, and NPI Agriculture Head Arthur Baria, led the tour and discussed the progress of the NestlÊ’s coffee demonstration area within DA 10-NOMIARC. Through its partnership with DA 10-NOMIARCH, NestlÊ has converted a 6-hectare field in NOMIARC into a demonstration farm comprised of a mother plant garden, a Robusta coffee nursery, a composting facility and an R&D station with the Center.
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ecognizing the potential of Bukidnon as a top coffee-producing province, NestlĂŠ Philippines Inc. (NPI) has partnered with the Northern Mindanao Agricultural Research Centre (NOMIARC) of the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office 10 (DA-10) in the production and distribution of high-quality Robusta plantlets and cuttings, bringing the high-yielding coffee plants closer to thousands of small-farmers in Bukidnon and nearby provinces within the region. Speaking at the sidelines of the 19th DA-NOMIARC Farmers’ Field Day and Technology Forum in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon, NPI Agriculture Head Arthur Baria said they are looking to tap Bukidnon as a “coffee basketâ€? where NestlĂŠ can directly source high-quality Robusta coffee beans. “There is great potential for coffeefarming in Bukidnon with the province having a firm backbone in coffee production since the early 60’s,â€? said Baria. “In addition, the province is conducive to coffee growing with its rich soil, ideal altitude, and well-suited climate for the production of quality Robusta coffee beans. Bukidnon is rightly apt to be optimized in the coffee supply chain to respond to the current supply-demand gap in coffee.â€? Baria explains that while annual local demand for coffee beans is currently pegged at 64,000 metric tons, the country only produces 20,000 metric tons to re-
spond to the demand, outlining further the reason behind tapping key agricultural areas such as Bukidnon to its base of coffee suppliers. Embarking on a road to expand its coffee-resource base, Baria emphasized that it is imperative that key coffee-producing areas have access to coffee farming best practices, including effective and adaptable technologies, to help thousands of small growers realize sustainability and profitability in coffee farming, and eventually help address the gap in supply-demand. “Through this partnership which started in 2010, we have converted a 6-hectare field in NOMIARC into a demonstration farm. We have a mother plant garden where farmers can get highquality Robusta coffee cuttings; a coffee nursery, which serves as a trial site for different types of Robusta coffee plants; a composting facility for organic fertilizer; and a NestlĂŠ R&D station within NOMIARC,â€? Baria adds. NestlĂŠ is also sharing its technical expertise in coffee planting with the Center through different coffee training programs, designed to enable farmers to get hands-on exercises on the various ways to better plant coffee. The Coffee Monocropping System and the SAIN (Sustainable Agriculture Initiative System) are taught in the Center, all backed by practical demonstrations at demo plots by NestlĂŠ agronomists. Juanita Salvani, Center Manager of
DA-10 NOMIARC outlines how these agriculture developments in coffee farming benefit thousands of coffee-dependent farmers in Bukidnon. “Bukod sa mabibigyan natin sila ng quality [coffee] planting materials, natutulungan sila paano mabuting mag culture ng coffee sa kanilang mga sari-sariling bahay (Aside from sharing with them quality [coffee] planting materials, we are able to teach them how to better culture coffee in their own fields). With the presence of NestlĂŠ, they are also assured of the market because they are planting quality materials capable of producing quality beans.â€? Salvani, in another interview during the Forum, further explains the “beautyâ€? of the cooperation between NestlĂŠ and DA. “NestlĂŠ obviously has the capacity in terms of resources; they can implement projects outright when you need the resources. Public institutions like the Department of Agriculture cannot do the pushing of agriculture development alone; we need our private partners to help us. It’s really a good thing that NestlĂŠ has chosen us.â€? With NestlĂŠ currently the biggest buyer of Robusta coffee in the country, purchasing an estimated 80% of the entire Philippine coffee produce, Baria noted that NestlĂŠ is planning to establish more partnerships with the public sector, establishing other demonstration farms like the one in DA-NOMIARC in key coffee-growing areas in the country to reach other untapped small coffee farmers.
DA 10-NOMIARC Center Manager Juanita Salvani at the NestlĂŠ Nursery in the Center. According to Salvani, with the help of NestlĂŠ, the Center is able to share quality coffee planting materials to the local farmers as well as teach them how to better culture coffee in their own fields
NPI Agriculture Head Arthur Baria at NestlÊ’s Mother Plant Garden in DA 10-NOMIARC. According to Baria, Bukidnon has great potential for Robusta coffee farming with its rich soil, ideal altitude and well-suited climate and as such rightly apt to be optimized in the coffee supply chain to respond to the current supply-demand gap in coffee.
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