RP to export coffee soon to Taiwan

Two major distributors of world-class coffee and food products in the Taiwan and Chinese markets have expressed interest to carry Philippine coffee blend Kafe Maharlika which is being aggressively pushed locally by Mocha Blends Corp.

This was reported by Florante de la Cruz, president of Mocha Blends Corp., to The STAR, De la Cruz gave a copy of the emailed letter of Keith Chen (a food distributor in Taipei, Taiwan) and Anty Chen of Cedawil & Co. Ltd. (a trading company in Taiwan). Both compa-nies compete in distributing food products and food equipment in Taiwan and China coming from the best suppliers in the world.

De la Cruz relayed this positive develop-ment to Agriculture Secretary Luis P. Lorenzo Jr. over the weekend. He noted that efforts by the Arroyo administration to revive the mori-bund Philippine coffee sector and make it globally competitive are beginning to pay off.

The first shipment, which de la Cruz is working out with the two Taiwan-based companies, is now being finalized since these companies want to be the exclusive distribu-tors of Maharlika coffee to Taiwan and China.

De la Cruz recalled that he met with Keith Chen in Taiwan and invited the latter to try Kafe Maharlika at his Mocha Blends coffee shop in Timog. Chen instantly liked the superior taste of Maharlika.

Chen, in the emailed letter, said he was impressed by the Timog Mocha Blends coffee shop "and has a very positive potential of being a major competitor for Starbucks." Chen said he wanted to visit the other stores "but time was not on our side."

"Like the Italian Coffee Co., we are glad that you have the same commitment for quality,’ Chen said.

"Your intentions of promoting the coffee beans of the Philippines have perked our interest as well especially after tasting the Maharlika coffee," Chen said.

The Philippines – prior to the lapse of the coffee quotas in the United States market – used to be a major exporter of coffee beans. With the removal in the 80s of the quota in the US market, however, local coffee growers no longer found it profitable and viable to continue exporting coffee beans abroad.

Many coffee plantations then shifted to other crops, principally corn and rootcrops for feedmills. As a result, the area planted to coffee dropped to below 20,000 hectares over the year.

In 2002, the Arroyo administration, through then Secretary Lorenzo, presidential adviser for creating one million jobs in agriculture, launched a coffee rehabilitation program with the private sector and the Quedancor (as the financial arm) to rehabilitate existing farms through massive fertilization.

Lorenzo also spearheaded the formation of a coffee board, headed by Guillermo Luz of the Makati Business Club, which among others would map out a doable program to enhance productivity and marketability of Philippine coffee both locally and abroad. One of its goals was to match local producers with markets (such as roasters, coffee shops, etc.)

Mocha Blends Corp. – which uses highland coffee varie-ty from Region 2 – is the actualization of Lorenzo’s food chain vision for the sector.

Chen’s group is the exclusive distributor of Monin syrups, Cappuccine mixes, Elektra coffee roas-ters, Lyons tea, Bristot and Acorto–all world class products themselves. De la Cruz intends to be the exclusive local distributor of Cappuccine mixes and Monin syrups to be used in Mocha Blends gourmet coffee and flavored teas for superb drinks.

As with any exclu-sive rights of distribu-tion, the basic require-ments are loyalty to the brand, continued presence of a passion to develop the use of these products all over the country of which distribution rights have been allo-cated and the positive credibility and repu-tation of the company to which rights have been given, Chen said.