DTI gives coffee growers a boost to meet demand

The Department of Trade and Industry is pursuing efforts to boost the Philippine coffee industry to help serve the growing local demand.

Myrna P. Pablo, regional director for DTI-Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), noted that the local sector, at present, cannot produce enough coffee to supply the volume consumed by the domestic market.

It is estimated that, by end-2013, the Philippines would have imported 40,000 metric tons of coffee to sustain local consumption.

To help reduce the country’s coffee imports and to help tap potential export opportunities, the government and the private sector have since been aggressively implementing a program designed to develop the industry.

A series of activities using various methodologies, such as focus group, value chain approach, and industry clustering, were conducted to design appropriate development plans and strategies for the coffee sector.

The DTI’s shared service facilities (SSF) program in particular, have begun addressing the technology gaps along the coffee value chain last year, according to Pablo.

For 2013, 30 SSF projects for the coffee industry worth P26.68 million was approved by the DTI. These SSFs are common service facilities for certain production processes that provides micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) access to technology and equipment for them to be more competitive in the local and global markets.

Pablo also noted the inclusion of the coffee sector in the National Industry Cluster Capacity Enhancement Project (Niccep). It is a three-year project launched in 2012 that reinforces efforts of enablers and operators in the coffee value chain toward the promotion and development of the sector.

The Niccep is funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) in coordination with the DTI to develop and mobilize pilot industry clusters nationwide. It aims to help increase the contribution of selected priority industry clusters to the country’s economy.

Pablo added that the high value crops development program of the Department of Agriculture (DA), National Greening Program (NGP) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SET-UP) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), were also able to address other gaps in the coffee value chain. Likewise, local government units and nongovernment organizations have also committed support for the industry.

“The government can only do so much. The private sector’s role is more pronounced. There is still a need for efforts to be harmonized. We likewise need to continually share information and work with one vision for the industry to continually pursue efforts to sustain the growth of this sector,” Pablo said.