IPs start developing coffee farm in Carasi

By Leilanie G. Adriano

Staff reporter

Carasi, Ilocos Norte—The indigenous peoples (IPs) in this upland town of Ilocos Norte is starting to grow coffee plant as an alternative livelihood and at the same time boost its on-going reforestation project here.

Carasi Mayor Rene Gaspar said an initial five hectares of idle government lot is slowly being developed as a coffee plantation here to help upland farmers generate additional sources of income.

Initiated by the local government unit of Carasi, Mr. Gaspar said his administration has allotted funds for the initial development of a tree nursery to fill in the denuded mountains here with coffee and “madre de cacao” (Gliricidia sepium) locally known as “kakawate” as shade.

“So far, at least 3,000 coffee seedlings are now planted at the project site,” Mr. Gaspar said with 4,500 seedlings more waiting to be planted at the 5-hectare coffee farm.

Since May, the municipality has deployed farm workers to start planting coffee in between shades of trees.

In cooperation with its neighboring local government unit of Piddig, the Isneg tribe of Carasi has backed the development of coffee plantation in their ancestral domain.

The increasing demand for coffee around the world has sparked the development of growing coffee in this northern part of Luzon, having a favorable weather and soil condition.

Earlier, the Rocky Mountain Arabica Coffee Co. (RMACC), a leading producer and exporter of Arabica coffee in the Philippines has met with local officials here expressing his desire to partner with government and research institutions to put up a modern eco-friendly coffee plantation and milling center here.

If plans don’t miscarry, Ilocos Norte hopes to produce quality grade coffee and be part of the growing market of the coffee industry.

In the Philippines, at least 85 percent or 138 million kilograms of coffee supply worth P6 billion is imported from Vietnam every year.

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