MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews / 23 September) — Coffee bean production nationwide saw a modest 1.8-percent growth this year, but agriculture officials said farmers in Northern Mindanao are producing less and less of this high-value crop.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) said farmers nationwide produced 2.77 thousand metric tons in June 2023, an increase of 1.8 percent from last year’s recorded production of 2.72 thousand metric tons.
But in Mindanao, which contributes 65 percent of the nationwide coffee bean production, the area planted to the crop decreased to 111.19 thousand hectares from 111.39 thousand hectares last year.
DA 10 Regional Technical Director Carlota Madriaga said that for Northern Mindanao they have difficulty finding good seedlings so the farmers can produce quality coffee beans.
“We wanted to support the farmers by distributing quality seedlings but we cannot find a good supplier,” Madriaga said.
She said they had to cancel a public bidding last June for lack of suppliers.
She said coffee production in Mindanao is facing several problems starting with credit, post harvest facilities, low yield, and aging farmers.
Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao is the top coffee producer in 2023 with 710.23 metric tons or 25.6 percent share of the total coffee production.
Region 12 followed with 658.86 metric tons and Davao Region with 619.92 metric tons. (Froilan Gallardo/MindaNews)
