Ambaguio farmers develop their own brand of “barako” coffee

Farmers of the Tiblac-Lingak Farmers Association Inc., an agrarian reform beneficiaries organization (ARBO) in Ambaguio, Nueva Vizcaya, have developed their own brand of brewed upland “barako” coffee, called “Ambaguio Kapi.” It is the first Nueva Vizcaya brand of Robusta coffee.

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR)-Nueva Vizcaya said it has been instrumental in crafting the new branding and labeling of the “Robustica Coffee” and has also committed to helping the farmers’ association to market their produce.

Dindi Tan, DAR Nueva Vizcaya Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer noted that Ambaguio is one of the few upland municipalities in Nueva Vizcaya that produce two varieties of coffee

“We will continuously help and guide our ARBOs in all the stages of their operations so that they may be able to sustain their business.

Our farmers who are into the coffee business have been experiencing difficulty pitching for a pricing mechanism that will not put them at a terrible disadvantage,” said Tan.

Since the price of coffee has been affected by the pandemic, DAR-Nueva Vizcaya has forged partnerships with other national government agencies like the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to help develop and market the farmers’ products.

“This convergence initiative of various government agencies helps the farmers to stay afloat especially during these challenging times.

Buy local! Patronize local products! Support our farmer-beneficiaries so that they can continue supporting our nation, especially during this pandemic,” said Tan.

SOURCE: Business Mirror