The Philippine Coffee Board Inc. (PCBI) has welcomed the Department of Agriculture’s creation of a Coffee Industry Development Office (CIDO), calling it a timely move that could strengthen the country’s coffee sector and benefit both farmers and consumers.
The new office, formed by the Department of Agriculture (DA), will centralize coffee-related programs, funding and policies that were previously handled by different units. Industry leaders say this unified approach will end fragmented management and give the sector clear direction and accountability.
PCBI said the move comes at a critical time, as local demand for coffee continues to rise while imports increase due to limited domestic supply. The group noted that the country’s annual coffee demand is estimated at 150,000 to 200,000 metric tons (MT), but production remains far below that level.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority show that the Philippines produced 35,645.41 MT of green coffee beans last year, up 11.46 percent from 31,979.26 MT in 2024. However, this output still falls short of national demand. Robusta accounted for the bulk of production at 25,730.85 MT, or 72.2 percent of the total.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the creation of CIDO gives coffee plantations—both for domestic use and export—greater attention and support. The DA acknowledged that the sector faces several challenges, including aging farmers, limited access to quality inputs, outdated equipment and weak infrastructure, all of which contribute to low yields and inconsistent quality.
Average national production is currently between 500 to 700 kilograms per hectare, a level industry leaders say must improve to make local coffee competitive.
CIDO is expected to coordinate with local governments, universities, private companies and farmer groups to modernize farms, improve productivity and address policy gaps. It will also have consolidated oversight to speed up project delivery and improve accountability.
For consumers, the reform could mean more locally grown coffee, better quality beans and potentially more stable prices in the long term. For farmers and businesses, it signals that coffee is now a government priority crop, with focused leadership aimed at unlocking the industry’s full potential.
