Higaonon coffee growers learn new techniques,
skills in producing quality beans
ESPERANZA,
Agusan del Sur, Nov. 14 - Kalabuan Higaonon Farmers Organization (KAHIPO), a
group of Indigenous Peoples (IPs) in Esperanza of this province have recently
attended the two-day Skills Training on Coffee Harvesting and Green Coffee
Beans Quality Improvement in the remote barangay of Kalabuan.
The
resource person, Mark Anthony Balahay (Coffee Quality Grader and Coffee Farm
Consultant) said that coffee has promising opportunities in the market but
farmers need to be extra careful in the production because coffee can be
attacked by insects and fungi.
He
gave tips on what type of pesticide to use and the proper way of growing
coffee.
Reonel
Aninon, Trade and Industry Development Specialist and Provincial Coordinator of
the DTI's Shared Service Facility (SSF) program in Agusan del Sur updated the
group about the status of the proposed "Monitored type Tunnel Dryer” which
is designed to fast-track the production of coffee beans.
KAHIPO
has been growing coffee for quite some time as one of their sources of income.
Their produce is sold in the locality and outside the province.
Joining the team in Barangay Kalabuan
were Bernalou Balan of the Esperanza Municipal Agriculture Office and Charles
Palen of the Negosyo Center. (DTI-Agusan del Sur/PIA-Agusan del Sur)
