CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (May 15) – The Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Office 10 (DA-RFO 10) has pledged a Coffee Community-Based Development Enterprise worth P8 million to MILALITTRA, Inc. in order to boost the region’s coffee industry.
MILALITTRA, which stands for Miarayon-Lapok-Lirongan-Tinaytayan-Talaandig Tribal Association, is made up of coffee farmers from about 2,500 household members from various villages of Talakag town in Bukidnon province.
“This project is funded under the High-Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) of DA-RFO 10 that aims to provide production and postharvest support services for coffee and cacao farmers,” said the program coordinator Kersten S. Pagalan.
She added that included in the package of interventions is the provision of hauling truck, processing equipment, facility, training, planting materials, and nursery establishment.
MILALITTRA president Joannah P. Dumaquita who represented Datu Dungkuan ‘Rio’ Besto, indicated that DA’s project funding would greatly help them with their more than 11 hectares of coffee plantation, as well as in expanding their business with the slated training.
Dumaquita also reported that the association bagged the award for the 2019 Philippine Coffee Quality Competition for Arabica category.
She asserted that with DA’s assistance they will be able to modernize their equipment and facilities in order to preserve and maintain the quality of coffee beans, particularly green coffee beans that are still raw and have not yet been roasted while stored.
DA-10 Regional Technical Director for Operations Carlota S. Madriaga handed over the Certificate of Commitment on behalf of Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado.