Thirty-five AEWs and Farmer Leaders from the Cordillera successfully attended the training on Training of Trainers (TOT) on the PNS: Code of GAP for the Production of Coffee Green Beans with Emphasis on Integrated Pest Management for AEWs of the Cordillera held at the Aspulan Hall, ATI-RTC-CAR, BSU Compd., La Trinidad, Benguet on August 13-16, 2024.
Addressed during the training were food safety and quality, which is one of the most prominent concerns worldwide, and foodborne disease outbreaks which continue to be a public health challenge. Also, compliance with Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and GMP developed for coffee and other crops is one of the keys to ensuring food safety from the farm-to-table continuum. GAP aimed to protect consumers against unsafe products, gain market acceptance & credibility by producers and exporters. It provides guidance to farmers and other relevant stakeholders through principle-based practices from planting operations up to postharvest handling, which is focused on ensuring food safety, produce quality, workers’ welfare and environmental management.
Dr. Cristine B. Esnara thoroughly discussed the Coffee Situation in the Philippines and Food Safety Hazards. Mr. Doweno C. Santiago, Jr. GAP Focal Person of the DA-CAR-Regional Field Office discussed the PNS on Coffee Bean Production, and GAP Certification Guidelines and Protocol. Mr. Valentino Macanes, the coffee expert from Benguet State University discussed intensively the university’s package of technology for coffee production such as the nursery establishment and management (covering coffee seed selection, and nursery establishment); Management of Arabica Coffee Production which includes Field Planting and Maintenance (covering planting distance, size of hole for planting, weeding, fertilization, capping/topping and rejuvenation); and Cost and Return Analysis. Mr. Macanes also tackled Code of Practice for the Prevention of Ochratoxin. He stressed much about the common pests and diseases and their management as these were the problems affecting coffee plantations in the Cordillera. Harvest and postharvest management such as depulping, fermentation, washing, drying, dehulling, sorting and grading were also discussed during the training.
Special Topics on Leadership and Values Orientation were also tackled.
Participants underwent and enjoyed their hands-on activities on nursery management, coffee management, pest and disease identification, coffee rejuvenation, sorting, grading, and roasting at the BSU Institute of Highland Farming Systems and Agroforestry at Longlong, La Trinidad, Benguet.
During the Closing Program, Mr. Rudy Gerlaban, owner of Mayumi-Jay Farm, thanked the Center for inviting him as one of the participants. He also thanked all the speakers especially Mr. Macanes for expounding the coffee production and management. “I am a coffee grower in Kalinga but still lack knowledge in coffee farming when I attended this training I learned a lot of things especially the part where you can rejuvenate a coffee tree twice because, in our place, the coffee plants grow up to 10 feet or more. Surely, I can apply all the learnings on my farm,” he exclaimed.
