DA7 plants 1,000 coffee plantlets in Ubay, Bohol

With the aim of revitalizing the coffee industry in Central Visayas, the Department of Agriculture 7 (DA7) started the initial planting of 1,000 Robusta coffee plantlets at the Ubay Stock Farm in Ubay, Bohol.

DA7 Regional Executive Director Atty. Salvador D. Diputado who led the actual coffee planting in Ubay said that the DA is pushing to revive the coffee industry which is declining due to so many reasons.
Report of the DA and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) states that the country's production volume of coffee is decreasing by 2.87% annually, and the production yield is decreasing 2.23% annually.
DA7 High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) Coordinator Mr. John Dennis Ranario bared that the agency is procuring planting materials of Robusta coffee to expand the coffee production in Central Visayas.
Ranario added that in region 7, coffee production areas are in Bohol, Cebu, & Negros Oriental, with the town of Tuburan, Cebu considered as coffee basket in Central Visayas.
He added that under the HVCD program, DA7 will provide trainings and planting materials to the identified farmers of the region to increase coffee production.
Diputado further explained that the coffee planting in Ubay Stock Farm is part of the high value crops field that the DA is establishing in parts of the stock farm to make idle lands productive.
"This activity is in accord with the Plant, Plant, Plant program of Agriculture Secretary William Dar," Diputado added.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, Central Visayas has 1,047,765 coffee fruit bearing with 104MT production in 2015. This contributes 0.3 percent share of the total coffee production in the country.
With Director Diputado in the planting activity were DA-7 former RED Engr Ricardo Oblena, Ubay Stock Farm's Jun Polistico and Rudy Geromo.