Benguet coffee picking up steam, getting known

By Susan C. Aro

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet--The province of Benguet is known for its highland vegetables and strawberries but its coffee is also gaining recognition.   
    Presidential Communications Operations Office Assistant Sec. JV Arcena in the Network Briefing News program Wednesday told Gov. Melchor Diclas Benguet coffee was featured in one of Qatar’s specialty coffee shops. 
    As cited by Arcena, the coffee shop owner said the coffee beans can compete with international beans.
    These beans are from high elevation areas which play an important key to a high quality bean product.”
    Diclas said Benguet has a thriving coffee industry particularly the Arabica variety raised in high altitude places.
    The Benguet Arabica coffee is popular for being more aromatic and flavorful.
    The Benguet-grown Arabica coffee was chosen as the best Arabica coffee in the country during the 3rd Philippine coffee conference three years ago.
    “Yung coffee industry po nating ito, isa itong inaalagahan ng mga taga-Benguet, alam po nating maswerte po tayo kasi mataas ang elevation dito kaya masarap po yung kape natin, yung Arabica coffee,” he said.
    The upland municipalities of Atok, Itogon, La Trinidad, Tuba, Kibungan, and Tublay are producing the Arabica coffee which has distinct taste and quality and the government is helping the coffee farmers to grow their coffee until it is ready to be brewed, the governor said.     
    He said the local government is supporting the province's coffee industry to boost production.  
Meanwhile, Diclas said the provincial government is pushing rehabilitation of farm-to-market and provincial roads to make transport of produce especially highland vegetables from the farms to markets.
    The province tagged as the “Salad Bowl of the Philippines” records one million tons of semi-temperate vegetables during its peak production and supplies 80 percent of the country’s needs.
He said the conditional matching grant to provinces will be a continuing project for road repair, rehabilitation, and improvement. – PIA Benguet