Growing and producing coffee is the major source of livelihood for the Canlandog Pilot Agro-Forestry Farmers Association (CPAFFA) in Murcia, Negros Occidental. CPAFFA produces at least 27 tons of coffee every year using the traditional way. However, coffee farmers identified some technical issues such as poor farm practices with limited knowledge on appropriate coffee technology, lack of equipment, inadequate post-harvest facilities, and poor quality of beans.
The local government unit (LGU) of Negros Occidental acknowledges the need to improve the competitiveness of the CPAFFA coffee products and upgrade its overall packaging. In order to address the challenges, the Department of Science and Technology Region VI (DOST VI) through its Community Empowerment Thru Science and Technology (CEST) program will support the coffee production by providing processing equipment, enhancing the processing methods, and improving its packaging and labeling.
DOST is pushing all its efforts in fighting poverty and empowering communities, particularly the marginalized sectors of society. The CEST program covers a holistic package of interventions on livelihood, health, and nutrition, human resource development, environmental protection, and conservation including disaster risk reduction/climate change adaptation.
The CEST project in Brgy. Canlandog, Murcia, Negros Occidental aims to provide a micro coffee processing and roasting facility to improve its coffee production, the conduct of fora on food safety and Pinggang Pinoy for health and nutrition, environmental protection, and disaster risk reduction, provide access to science and technology learning materials with STARBOOKS or the Science and Technology Academic and Research-Based Openly Operated Kiosk Station to students of Canlandog Elementary School, among others.
Last February 24, the Negros Occidental PSTC turned over to CPAFFA four units of coffee depulpers, one unit coffee grinder, one coffee moisture meter, and packaging materials. The event was graced by Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson. (SSalazar/DOST VI-KMU with reports from Neg. Occ. PSTC)
