The Philippine Coffee Board Inc. (PCBI) is seeking up to P50 million in government funding to establish a Philippine Coffee Research Institute to boost local coffee production through science-based farming and improved access to planting materials.

“We want to create a Philippine Coffee Research Institute. In other coffee-producing countries, the farmer has a place to go — an institute where soil can be analyzed and intercropping studied scientifically. We lack science,” PCBI chairperson Pacita Juan told reporters at the sidelines of the first Philippine Coffee Sustainability Congress last week.

Juan said the research facility could be built on existing Bureau of Plant Industry-owned land to minimize costs. She added that the proposal is already being discussed with government agencies and lawmakers.

PCBI emphasized the need for long-term research on varieties suitable for Philippine conditions, especially with changing climate patterns. The proposed institute would study soil health, climate-resilient coffee varieties, and farming systems to improve productivity nationwide.

One-year lead

If approved in the next national budget, PCBI said the project could begin soon. 

“If given a budget under the General Appropriations Act, operations can start by next year. The Department of Trade Industry already has existing facilities; they just need to be augmented with personnel and proper staffing so there will be people dedicated to the research,” she said.

PCBI said the most urgent problem in the coffee sector is the lack of planting materials.

“There needs to be a change even in the supply of seedlings. There are not enough accredited nurseries, so we need to localize them,” it said, adding that farmers need to be trained to develop their own community nurseries.

The organization said it has been working with private partners to scale up planting efforts. 

Juan cited its partnership with GCash, which has so far funded the planting of 1.6 million coffee seedlings, and said government financial institutions like Land Bank have also expressed interest in supporting future initiatives.

However, PCBI stressed that private-sector efforts will not be enough. As such, Juan also urged the government to rethink its coffee strategy, saying programs are too focused on distribution of machinery rather than productivity and sustainability.

“Right now, the support of the government is post-harvest machinery… which for us should not be the priority. It is only temporary gratification for the farmer,” PCBI said. “It does not improve the quality. It does not increase their profit risk. We need to concentrate on research, climate resilience, and sustainability of the whole industry, not just processing.”

Local coffee demand continues to rise, now estimated at 150,000 to 200,000 metric tons annually, but the Philippines produces only a quarter of what it consumes, forcing heavy reliance on imports.