Nescafé set to break records in coffee seedling distribution

The experimental and demonstration farm of leading coffee brand Nescafé based in Tagum City, Davao is poised to set a record for the most number of coffee seedlings distributed to farmers this year. 

According to Zenon Alenton, Nestlé Experimental and Demonstration Farm (NEDF) agronomist and farm supervisor, they have already surpassed last year’s figures of over 80,000 coffee seedlings at the start of May alone.

Likewise, NEDF is en route to break the 100,000 mark in the distribution of Robusta coffee tree’s rooted cuttings. Rooted cutting, aside from grafting and tissue culture, is one of the asexual methods of propagations of Robusta coffee trees.

“Our single biggest buyer of rooted cuttings remains the Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC), which pre-ordered 100,000 rooted cuttings late last year,” tells Alenton.

“PNOC decided to plant coffee trees to provide livelihood to surrounding communities and a means to protect the area near the geothermal plant in the town Valencia, Negros Oriental from deforestation,” adds Alenton.

Alenton reveals NEDF is also set to ship out 30,000 ready-to-plant Robusta coffee trees soon to a coffee plantation in southern Leyte, a project of a Non-Government Organization (NGO) in partnership with Local Government Unit (LGU).

NEDF in Tagum City, Davao del Norte is Nestlé Philippines’ flagship corporate social responsibility project for Philippine coffee farmers. Its main mission is to produce good quality coffee beans in a sustained manner, benefiting everyone on the coffee industry. For more than 13 years, it has provided free coffee farming training and technology for farmers and agricultural students from all over the country.

More importantly, NEDF provides Nescafé technology to farmers by selling them high-quality and high-yielding Robusta coffee seeds or cuttings at cost price. Nestlé uses green coffee beans (GCB) from Robusta trees to produce the country’s best-selling coffee, Nescafé Classic.

Over the years, NEDF has distributed over a million coffee seedlings, rooted cuttings, and coffee seeds. All the above planting materials would have planted around 10,000 hectares of new coffee plantation.

Sowing Responsibly

“Before we hand over the coffee seeds or cuttings, we always ask the buyers if they know how to plant coffee properly. Otherwise, we invite them for a free three-day coffee farming training complete with board and lodging at NEDF,” says Alenton.

Alenton encourages interested parties to take advantage of NEDF’s free comprehensive three-week coffee specialist training which tackles everything from planning the coffee farm, planting and cultivation of coffee, harvesting and post-harvest processing of coffee berries to micro-management of coffee farms.

Still, many farmers opt to learn on their own so Alenton says he and his staff just brief them about coffee farming do’s and don’ts as much as they can.

They also provide farmers with free literature – brochures, booklets and handouts on coffee farming.

“We really want the farmers to start with coffee right,” says Alenton. “Coffee is a 50-year plant. If you plant bad coffee trees, you will harvest bad coffee for a lifetime.”

After years of studying thousands of Robusta selections from several coffee-producing countries, NEDF has come out with four types that are well-suited to Philippine soil and climate conditions.

However, Alenton is quick to point out that their work is not yet done.

“It’s a continuing process,” says Alenton. “We want to see what’s next in line or pin down the best Robusta selection for a particular area, environment or terrain – say for instance, the Mountain Province.”