DA, Nestle to establish more coffee nurseries

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Agriculture (DA) has signed several agreements with Nestlé Philippines Inc. for the establishment of more Robusta coffee nurseries in research stations run by the department.

Through these research stations, coffee farmers would enjoy better access to high-quality planting materials at low prices.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala and Nestlé Philippines Inc. (NPI) chairman and chief executive officer John Martin Miller recently signed four agreements for the joint development of Robusta nurseries, mother plant gardens and related facilities in various DA research stations.

The new partnership between DA and Nestlé builds on the gains of a similar partnership five years ago. Through this new partnership, farmers would also be given technical assistance for production, post-production as well as marketing of their produce.

The new project sites include the Quirino Experiment Station in Barangay Dungo, Aglipay, Quirino; Bureau of Soils and Water Management property in Brgy. Dalwagan, Malaybalay, Bukidnon; and Trento Research and Experimental Station in Poblacion, Trento, Agusan del Sur.

The existing 12.5-hectare project site at the Northern Mindanao Integrated Agricultural Research Center (NOMIARC) will be expanded by five hectares to accommodate more nurseries.

NOMIARC currently houses the Bukidnon Integrated Coffee Center (BICC), which includes a DA-certified mother plant garden, a training center, a demo farm and a composting facility.

Since 2011, BICC has provided technical help and distributed plantlets to farmers in Bukidnon and nearby provinces, including indigenous peoples.

In all, the partnership covers the development 30 hectares of new nurseries with DA providing more lands if necessary to increase the production of Robusta coffee.

The Robusta variety, which can be grown in various parts of the country, is used for the manufacture of instant coffee.

“This (MOA) should enable our farmers to get the maximum benefits for their produce,” said Alcala. “ It gives our farmers the priority in buying planting materials, and enables [them] to benefit from Nestle’s advanced technology in coffee production.”

Miller expressed optimism that the partnership would steer the Philippines towards coffee self-sufficiency as early as 2020. At present, local farmers are able to supply only 20 percent of the national requirement with imports filling in the gap.