LA TRINIDAD’S COFFEE PRODUCTION UP, TARGETS TO PLANT 20K SEEDLINGS

February 15, 2025 Provincial

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet

Over the years production of coffee arabica in this capital town increased, according to the municipal agriculture official. “Over time there has been an increase in volume per tree due to past research indicating yields ranging from 300 grams up to one kilogram per tree for green beans” said Nida Organo, head of the municipal agriculture office during the opening the 8th Coffee Festival held at the municipal grounds. Organo added that average yield posted at 104 thousand kilograms (or about 10.4 metric tons) of green beans per year.

To further increase production and address soaring demand, the town has targeted to plant 20K coffee seedlings this year. Our target for the upcoming season is approximately 20,000 seedlings. In their production process, they applied a tapping strategy to encourage the trees to branch out and rejuvenate older trees, allowing them to produce
more. Earlier, it targeted 500 trees to planted but due to El Nino they were not able to meet. “Although we may not
have met the target of 500 trees per month due to water shortages and the prolonged effects of El Niño last year, our
farmers were still able to add at least 10 to 15 trees.

While we hope to continue this progress, it may not be on a monthly basis due to the ongoing rainy season,” Organo said. Most of the plots we plant are rain-dependent, but this year we successfully planted in areas that were suitable. We still have 1,000 seedlings remaining from last year, and we managed to sell 6,000 seedlings this year. “The coffee industry is indeed very lucrative” commented, as both buyers and consumers have increased, including walk-in buyers in the field. The farm gate price for green beans in La Trinidad is generally between P350 to P 480 per kilo.

On the farmer’s perspective, the official said “it makes sense for them to sell directly to these on-site buyers since they offer immediate cash payment and handle transportation. “ Furthermore, to address the demand, farmers are encouraged to plant in their idle lots. In the past, supplies were depleted due to an overwhelming number of buyers not just from local coffee shops in La Trinidad and Baguio City but also from Manila. Over time, they have observed an increase in buyers specifically seeking Arabica coffee.

Jude Mark L. Biccay/ UB Intern