More coffee farmers coops eyed in Sulu

GOVERNOR SAKUR Tan has urged local coffee farmers to form or join cooperatives and strengthen the industry by maintaining the high quality of their products.

A provincial government photo shows Sulu Governor Sakur Tan reading a report by the Federation of Sulu Coffee Producers Cooperative. Sulu's Arabica and Robusta, popularly known as "Kahawa Sug" is now being exported to Japan.

Tan, who met recently with members of the Federation of Sulu Coffee Producers Cooperative (FSCPC), said he would help them mechanize the farming process to speed up production from planting to harvesting to distribution, especially now that the province is exporting Arabica and Robusta coffee beans to Japan.

“We want to strengthen the local coffee industry by improving quality, increase productivity and to train more farmers,” he said.

FSCPC Chairman Muddazer Hailanie and Secretary Abdurajik Dansalan said 10 other coffee farmers’ cooperatives have expanded their plantation to 68 hectares and that 12 more cooperatives are joining the federation.

Hailanie, citing latest coffee test results, said Sulu’s Arabica and Robusta cherries - also popularly known as “Kahawa Sug” - now ranked 4th in the entire country. “We submitted our coffee for quality assurance evaluation in Davao and based on the test result, our Sulu coffee is ranked 4th in the entire country, and regarded as high quality. The coffee test included taste, color, aroma and other characteristics of coffee,” he said.

He also said that Japan has placed an order of two metric tons of Arabica and Robusta coffee.

Tan commended the FSCPC for its efforts and commitment to strengthen the coffee industry and even provided an unspecified amount and other farm materials, including a tractor to the cooperative. (Mindanao Examiner)