Coffee summit set in Davao Oct 15

MANILA, Philippines - Foreign experts on coffee cultivation are gathering for a summit in Davao City on Oct. 15 to share their knowledge on best cultivation and trade practices, the Philippine Coffee Board announced late Sunday.

The 7th National Coffee Summit will be held at SEDA Hotel in Davao City. 

Among the guest speakers is Dr. Dave D’Haeze, a Belgian coffee industry consultant based in Vietnam who has work experience with farms yielding five to seven metric tons (MT) of coffee beans per hectare.

The Philippines only yields 700 kilograms per hectare on the average and imports most of its coffee requirements.

 “Our farmers need this inspiring thought from experts like Dr. D’Haeze,” says Nicholas Matti, Philippine Coffee Board Inc. (PCBI) Chair.

After the summit, Dr. D’Haeze will visit coffee and cacao farms in and around Davao.

The Philippines currently produces about 25,000 MT of coffee beans annually while traders and manufacturers import around 75,000 MT from Vietnam and Indonesia to address the supply gap.

The importation of the commodity costs around P5 to P7 billion  annually.

Demand for coffee beans is seen to rise to more than 100,000 metric tons (MT) of green beans equivalent from around 75,000 MT two years ago.

Another guest speaker during the summit is US-based Filipina coffee grader Kat Mulingtapang.  She will hold cupping sessions in Manila and Davao.

Specialty grades command a premium price in the global specialty coffee market of up to 30 percent over ordinary prices.