Digos City, Davao del Sur — It was all about Coffee in a weekend filled with learnings and valuable takeaways about an agricultural gem famous in the region.
Coffee took center stage at the Department of Science and Technology (DOST)- Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) FIESTA spearheaded by Southern Mindanao Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development Consortium (SMAARRDEC) at the Brgy. Matti Campus of Southern Philippines Agri-business and Marine and Aquatic School of Science and Technology (SPAMAST) which hosted the event from August 22-24.
The event, which was the first of three agendas in the three-in-one symposium, gathered more than 100 coffee farmers, investors, and buyers from Southern Mindanao.
The next few days, meanwhile, saw the staging of SMAARRDEC’s Regional Farmers and Fisherfolks’ Forum 2019 and the Regional Symposium on Research and Development Highlights (RSDH) 2019 with the overall theme of “Invigorating agriculture, aquatic, and natural resources (AANR) Growth and Innovations in the Region.”
FIESTA, which stands for Farms and Industry Encounters through Science and Technology Agenda is an event-based technology transfer modality of PCAARRD.
It promotes Science and Technology (S&T) and its products towards providing competitive and profitable business ventures for the micro, small, and medium enterprises in the agriculture, aquatic, and natural resources sectors of the country.
This year, the FIESTA is hosted by SMAARRDEC in partnership with SPAMAST and the Provincial Government of Davao Del Sur.
Dr. Danilo Pacoy, SMAARRDEC Director, said Davao Del Sur works on a varietal study of Arabica coffee in the highlands of Mt. Apo through SPAMAST.
“The project aims to determine the behavior of Arabica coffee varieties under Philippine conditions,” said Pacoy.
Dr. Anthony Sales, Region XI Department of Science and Technology director and chair of the Regional Research and Development Council, which oversees SMAARRDEC, said REgion 11 accounts for 25 percent of the country’s coffee production.
“Davao del Sur gained international attention last year as its Balutakay Coffee Farmers Association participated in the Global Specialty Coffee Expo held in Seattle, USA,” he said, adding that SMAARRDEC strives to sustain this momentum by putting coffee at the center of S&T initiatives in the medium term.
He also said that coffee is a lucrative investment with the growing demand for coffee worldwide especially among young peoeple, adding that SMAARRDEC will continue to build the capacity of coffee farmers to produce quality coffee beans and its by-products.
On the other hand, Marita A. Carlos, Director of the Applied Communication Division of DOST-PCAARRD, is optimistic about coffee’s potential in the region.
“There is a big niche for organic coffee,” said Carlos during a media conference and forum after the opening ceremonies, adding that the Coffee FIESTA is a step towards reinvigorating not only Davao Del Sur’s but also Southern Mindanao’s coffee industry.
“We are all in this together. The very essence of the FIESTA is to gather all stakeholders. We are looking at the gaps and needs of the industry through research and development,” she said.