Agri-Commodities
Thursday, 13 August 2009 00:46
THE future of local coffee farmers and the goal of making the Philippines a coffee-exporting nation now appear more attainable with the partnership forged by the Department of Agriculture (DA) and Nestlé Philippines Inc. (NPI).
Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap and Nestlé chairman and CEO Nandu Nandkishore recently led DA and NPI officials in signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) combining their expertise and resources at the Nestlé experimental and demonstration farm (NEDF) in Tagum City, Davao del Norte.
The agreement concretizes the DA’s vision for the Philippine coffee industry: self-sufficiency and sustainability, and of one day making the Philippines a coffee exporter.
“We are happy to partner with the DA in making the Philippines a self-sufficient and sustainable coffee-producing country,” said Nandkishore.
Nestlé, the world’s foremost nutrition, health and wellness company, is the manufacturer of Nescafé, the Philippines’ leading coffee brand. Nescafé sources its coffee from around 30,000 Filipino farmers and deals with around 100,000 people more who make a living out of planting, harvesting, processing and trading coffee.
The MOU represents the shared commitment of both the DA and NPI to address the decline in green-coffee production in the Philippines and sets terms for programs that will support Filipino farmers in efforts to rehabilitate, rejuvenate and plant coffee trees. Farmers will be provided with planting materials and competent agronomical expertise geared toward sustainable development.
The signed MOU sets the foundation for a nationwide coffee-development program. Under that program, the DA will provide appropriate coffee services that will improve farm productivity, profitability, market competitiveness and long-term sustainability.
NPI will support the DA’s coffee-development program through technical assistance in the areas of coffee production and postproduction, including green-coffee technology and training.
The MOU states that the DA and NPI will undertake a “joint technical and commercial cooperation and scientific exchange program that encompasses projects for the development of the coffee industry.”
These would include the joint development of green-coffee production and marketing, expansion and development of areas for new coffee plantings, rehabilitation of coffee farms, establishment of coffee gardens and nurseries, and tissue-culture centers for somatic embryogenesis.
Both parties have also agreed to work together in establishing a coffee institute or center. This will serve as the hub for technical and training support to various coffee stakeholders, including farmers under the mentorship of local and international coffee experts.
Also present during the MOU signing were NPI’s Campo Van Beek, executive vice president and technical director; Edith de Leon, senior vice president and corporate affairs head; Joel Sarmiento, green-coffee purchasing head; Jojo Torrente, regional sales manager; Maria Odessa Lañas, corporate marketing manager; and Carol Adolfo, marketing-promotions and events executive.
Government officials Dr. Roger Chio, DA regional executive director; Dr. Rene Espino, national program coordinator; Davao del Norte Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario; Compostela Valley Gov. Arthur Uy; and Tagum City Mayor Rey Uy were also present during the event.
After the MOU was signed, guests attended a video presentation that showcased several NPI initiatives that are helping the Filipino coffee farmer and the whole coffee-farming industry.
These initiatives include establishing nationwide Nestlé buying stations which purchase coffee farmers’ harvests at world-standard prices; and the Nestlé experimental and demonstration farm, which provides free training on the scientific methods of growing quality coffee; these methods also teach the importance of good crop management, among others.
Guests later toured the NEDF facilities and participated in a ceremonial tree-planting activity with the DA, local government officials and NPI executives. At the end of the program, coffee-planting materials were handed over to Davao’s coffee-farming communities.
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