Aggie NorMin, PCAF push coffee, bamboo investments through forum

MALAYBALAY CITY, Bukidnon – To strengthen market opportunities for coffee and bamboo, the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-RFO 10), through its High Value Crops Development Program, in collaboration with the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF), held a Production Investment Forum for Coffee and Bamboo from January 21 to 23, at the Northern Mindanao Agricultural Crops and Livestock Research Complex in Brgy. Dalwangan, here.

The forum gathered around 100 farmers, cooperatives, and representatives from local and national government agencies, and other stakeholders, to discuss production support, market opportunities, and access to financing and credit aimed at improving the competitiveness and sustainability of the coffee and bamboo sectors in Northern Mindanao.

Participants also discussed the current state of the coffee and bamboo industries in Bukidnon, identified key challenges across the value chain, and proposed recommendations to strengthen existing policies and programs.

Provincial Agriculturist Maria Lilith M. Turan reported that Bukidnon is among the country’s top coffee-producing provinces and is aiming to become the “Arabica Capital of the Philippines.”

She added that the province is also positioned to become the country’s “Coffee Capital,” citing its unique ability to cultivate all four coffee varieties—arabica, robusta, excelsa, and liberica—and the presence of major local processing facilities.

Meanwhile, representatives from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) highlighted bamboo’s role in the National Greening Program and its potential to generate livelihood opportunities.

In a video message, Undersecretary for High Value Crops Cheryl Marie Natividad-Caballero underscored the importance of strong government-private sector partnerships to ensure farmers benefit from improved technologies, financing support, and value-adding opportunities for high-value crops.

“For the coffee and bamboo industries to thrive, the entire value chain must be strengthened—from production and post-harvest handling to processing, financing, marketing, and governance. Our goal is to create an enabling environment where investments are encouraged, risks are managed, and small farmer cooperatives and indigenous communities are fully integrated,” she added.

Further, she reaffirmed the DA’s commitment to supporting programs and projects that promote value-adding, market-driven, climate-smart, and inclusive agriculture, noting that the agency will continue to align policies, improve access to credit and technology, and encourage the sharing of best practices across the sector.

Following the discussions, participants conducted field visits to the Bukidnon Integrated Coffee Center in Malaybalay City and the Bukidnon: Bamboo Economic Enterprise Program in Manolo Fortich town, where they gained insights into coffee and bamboo production, processing, and enterprise development initiatives in the province.# (AMBM)