GAP on coffee production discussed during ASPIRE-CAR launch
- Karen T. Gawigawen
- Jan 26, 2018
- 3 min read
Coffee is considered as a flagship commodity of the Cordillera Region.
To give more significance and meaning to the claim, coffee farmers are thus advised to observe the Code of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) on Coffee. This code ensures food safety, quality produce, workers' welfare, environment management, and livelihood sustainability.
GAP also aims to provide guidance to farmers in minimizing the occurrence of microbial, chemical, and physical hazards associated with primary production and processing for human consumption; and, in maintaining product quality during transportation, according to Professor Valentino Macanes.
Prof. Macanes is a member of the Technical Working Group (TWG) for GAP on coffee. He was a guest-lecturer during the technology sharing sessions of the Agribusiness Support for Promotions and Investment in Regional Exposition (ASPIRE) on January 25, 2018 at the Provincial Capitol, La Trinidad, Benguet.
During his lecture, Prof. Macanes emphasized the utilization of certified coffee planting materials to ensure the quality of produce as a result.
For newly planted or newly rejuvenated coffee trees, detopping or topping should be done through cutting back the shoots of the coffee tree to keep it less than 1 - 1.5 m high. This GAP practice, Prof. Macanes explained, results to dwarf appearance and encourage elongation of branches and production of more twigs ultimately giving high coffee berry yield.
The other GAP-Coffee practices that he encouraged farmers to follow is pruning to maintain the correct balance between leaf area and crop, prevent overbearing and dieback, maintain good tree shape, reduce biennial bearing and good growth for the next season's crop.
Then to bring back 100% of the coffee green bean yield and reduce 50% of labor cost, 10 years old coffee trees should be rejuvenated. It is done by cutting the vertical stem or trunks of old coffee trees to induce growth of new sprouts.
Picking coffee berries should be done by hand picking or priming where only ripe ones are harvested. It is important to avoid the inclusion of the peduncle during harvesting in order to not destroy the coffee clusters in the branches.
GAP does not indicate specific method of drying but “the drier facility should be elevated. Overly dried green beans are brittle and mishandling can lead to increased percentage of broken beans during hulling which are considered defective beans,” according to Prof Macanes.
On the other hand, beans that have not been dried sufficiently have higher moisture content and are more prone to rapid deterioration caused by the attacks of fungi, bacteria and other pests, he explained.
Macanes advised his listeners to de-pulp their coffee beans 4 hours within the day after harvesting to avoid physiological changes that can occur on the coffee berries. Prof. Macanes said over-riped coffee berries will result to sour taste while under ripe cherries are bitter.
He encouraged the farmers to recycle coffee pulp, coffee hull and rejected beans as fertilizer and manage waste properly. What is important is to maintain the production and processing area neat and organized, he said.
The Code of GAP on Coffee was developed through the initiative of the Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards (BAFS) in collaboration with the experts of the Technical Working Group (TWG) that includes the Bureau of Plant and Industry (BPI), Department of Agriculture - High Value Crops Development Program (DA-HVCDP); Academic Institutions such as the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), Cavite State University (CaVSU), and Benguet State University (BSU); and private organizations to include the Philippine Chamber of Food Manufacturers; Philippine Coffee Alliance; and, Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF) Committee on Commercial Crops.//
