DA to invest P2 B to perk up Phl coffee output

MALAYBALAY, BUKIDNON - At least four in ten cups of coffee are produced locally.

- By JASPER EMMANUEL ARCALAS

That is the goal of the government as it seeks to reduce the country's import dependency for coffee by at least 20 percentage points in the next few years by pouring in P2 billion in investments to boost domestic productivity.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the Department of Agriculture is committed to hiking the country's coffee self-sufficiency currently standing at a measly 10 percent of the total annual demand.

Based on his estimates, Tiu Laurel said the government would need at least P1 billion to boost self-sufficiency in coffee by 10 percentage points to 15 percent, thus the DA would require at least P2 billion to hike import dependence by 20 to 30 percentage points by end of 2027.