BACOLOD CITY— The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Negros Occidental is working for the total value chain development of the province’s coffee sector.
DTI-Negros Occidental Provincial Director Lea Gonzales, who spoke at the seminar on “Coffee Preparations and Business Operations” at O’Hotel here Wednesday, said the efforts to develop the local coffee industry should be from production to marketing.
Gonzales said that aside from product development and marketing support, the DTI is also working on linking coffee growers and users with other agencies like the Department of Agriculture (DA) for more assistance and support services.
The DTI also has good linkages with the provincial government through the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) and Provincial Environment Management Office (Pemo), she added.
“Through the national greening program and integrated social forestry program, the province has been active in planting coffee especially among upland areas,” Gonzales said, adding that “it is good that our growers have already organized themselves into a strong coffee association.”
The two-day seminar set until Thursday gathered about 40 coffee users and growers in Negros Occidental.
Participating coffee shop owners and farmers were given overview on coffee and trained on coffee growing techniques and technology, care and maintenance and rejuvenation, and basic coffee appreciation and preparation.
The pool of speakers on the first day included Jairus Sirue of DA Region 6 and representatives from the Coffee Culture Roastery.
On the second day, speakers will include International Affairs Marketing Director of Brydge Philippines Inc. Maria Susanna Edilo, who will talk on Specialty Coffee: Trends and Direction; and Roberto Francisco, executive director of Philippine Coffee Board, who will discuss the Philippine National Standards-Green Coffee Beans, appreciation of green coffee beans, and coffee processing and marketing.