DAVAO CITY – The Office of the Presidential Assistant for Eastern Mindanao (OPAMINE) is exploring ways on how the national government can support cacao and coffee makers in improving their production in response to the growing demand for these beverages domestically and globally.
MAGNO (Ivy Tejano)
OPAMINE Leo Tereso Magno told the media that during his talk with stakeholders at the Davao Food and Wine Festival in a hotel in Lanang here, the cacao and coffee farmers only produced 20,000 metric tons yearly, a quantity significantly less than the demand of about 120,000 metric tons from Filipino consumers.
“The cacao and coffee industry are not even thinking about exporting. Producers are still thinking about the domestic market. The discussion yesterday (Wednesday) focused on cooperation between the private sector and government,” Magno said.
Magno said the Philippines is the No. 1 coffee drinker in Asia and fourth globally. He added that with such high demand, the cacao and coffee industry is indeed in need of support not only from the private sector but from the government side as well.
The OPAMINE aims to establish a shared understanding with coffee and cacao farmers to support their industries.
Magno is scheduled to convene a meeting with these farmers to discuss potential government assistance for their industries.
“I promised them that next week we will discuss the matter para makita ng gobyerno ano ba ang mga kakailanganin (So the government can see what is needed). Hopefully, we can find a common ground to ensure that this industry will continue to grow,” Magno said.
The Davao Food and Wine Festival kicked off on October 7 with a remarkable grand opening. Over 250 Davaoeños witnessed the culinary talents of 10 chefs and artisans, marking it as the most successful opening event in the history of the festival.
The event runs until October 14.