SIBALOM, Antique – Gov. Rhodora Cadiao led the groundbreaking for a P2-million coffee processing center in Barangay Colo-oy here.
When completed, this facility will help farmers of the Bulalacao Colo-oy Tula-tula Sikap Organization (BCTSO) improve their coffee products and enable them to get a Food and Drug Administration approval.
Provincial Agriculturist Nicolasito Calawag said funding for this project came from the P107.5 million budget for high-value crops.
The provincial government allotted P3.4 million for coffee production. Of this, P2 million is for the construction of the center and the remaining P1.4 million is for the equipment.
The center is seen to boost coffee bean production and coffee trade in the three coffee-producing upland barangays in Sibalom – Tulatula, Calooy and Bululacao.
Of the 1,600 hectares of land grown with coffee in the province, more than 400 hectares are found in these barangays.
Calawag said BCTSO can produce 400 tons of coffee every year, classified in the national level as Grade I coffee or premium coffee bean.
The La Roasteria in Iloilo City and Nestle Philippines are two of the major buyers of BCTSO. The price of roasted coffee and green beans are more or less P300, and P200 per kilo, respectively.
“Sa Antique, specifically rugya sa Calo-oy naga-produce kang some of the very best coffee gid. Amo nga kon may processing center kita, ang quality kang atun kape pwede run natun ma-market sa nga department stores,” said Calawag./PN
