LA TRINIDAD’S COFFEE: SUSTAINABLE GROWTH

February 15, 2025 Provincial

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet

Efforts were initiated to promote local Arabica coffee in this capital town , local farmers began planting coffee
seedlings beyond their traditional backyard plots. This expansion is supported by local government unit of La Trinidad by distributing seedlings and farm inputs while technologies are by the agriculture department and Benguet State University (BSU). To date, 700 farmers are in to coffee growing, spread in nine barangays to include Shilan, Beckel, Amboing, Lubas, Puguis, Wangal, Bineng,Alno, Alapang and Bahong) out of the 16 barangays in this town.

In terms of quality, municipal agriculturist Nida Organo said “we passed the special coffee -meaning our scale rating is 80% or above. This was based on the coffee growers who joined in capping. This year, the municipal agriculture office has an allocation worth P38 million to include for personnel and maintenance expenses (MOOE), an increase from the previous year of P24 million pesos. In the opening of the 8th Coffee Festival, Vice Mayor Roderick Awingan said “ Number 1 is coffee is a symbol.. particularly in the municipality…it symbolizes our culture.” “It symbolizes hope.. in the sense that we really need to encourage our ypung generations to be part of the sustainable management of our environment and coffee production,” Awingan added.

Remedios Lawingan, representing Regional Director Atty. Jennilyn Dawayan of the Department of Agriculture-Cordillera, has encouraged local coffee farmers to participate in training sessions to boost their knowledge. Coffee takes center stage, training sessions are provided, along with slow-release fertilizers to sustain both newly planted and bearing coffee trees. When it comes to coffee you know that BSU is very supportive. The department of tourism continues to support coffee festivals and coffee production through the so-called program “Farm tourism” activities, notably, the “farm-to-table” experience. The industry also receives interventions from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

Von Rick P. Angway/ UB Intern