‘1,748.53 tons produced in 2025; But quality must be our culture’: Governor Edduba challenges Kalinga farmers to deliver premium beans 

TABUK CITY, Kalinga — Kalinga’s coffee industry should no longer focus only on producing more beans but on producing better-quality coffee that can command greater value and improve farmers’ incomes, Governor James S. Edduba said.

“Our challenge now is not merely to produce more coffee but to produce better coffee, increase its value, improve farmers’ incomes, and make Kalinga coffee competitive in domestic and international markets,” Edduba said in a message delivered by Provincial Administrator Teddy Gulay during the 2nd Kalinga Invitational Coffee Quality and Sustainable Congress at Kalinga State University on September 8 and 9, 2026.

Edduba said Kalinga already has a strong foundation for a thriving coffee industry. In 2024, the province produced approximately 1,861.33 tons of coffee, while production reached 1,748.53 tons in 2025.

He added that about 6,364.84 hectares of land in the province are devoted to coffee production, involving around 2,600 farmers.

But despite the province’s production capacity, Edduba said the greater challenge is raising the quality and value of Kalinga coffee.

“These figures remind us that coffee is not simply an agricultural commodity. Behind every bean is a farmer, a family, a community, and a future,” he said.

From more coffee to better coffee

To improve quality, Edduba emphasized the need to strengthen production and post-harvest practices, promote climate-resilient technologies, raise quality standards, expand market opportunities and encourage innovation among coffee enterprises.

He also called for stronger links between coffee, tourism and culture, envisioning Kalinga coffee not only as an agricultural product but also as part of the province’s tourism experience.

“Quality must be our culture. Science must guide our decisions. Sustainability must protect our resources. And convergence must bring our institutions and communities together,” Edduba said.

He reaffirmed the commitment of the Provincial Government of Kalinga to work with national government agencies, academic institutions, industry stakeholders and other partners in strengthening the local coffee industry.

“Let us build a coffee industry where farmers earn better, enterprises grow stronger, our environment is protected, and Kalinga coffee earns the recognition it deserves,” Edduba said.

The two-day congress brought together coffee stakeholders to discuss ways to improve the quality, sustainability and market competitiveness of Kalinga coffee, with the ultimate goal of creating greater opportunities for the farmers behind every cup.