Could coffee farming be the next career for young iKalingas? — DA official says “YES”

“We want our young people to see farming not as a last resort, but as a profession. Not simply for a way of life but some way to build a better life.” - Enrique Dela Cruz, National Coffee Focal Person of the DA Coffee Development Office

TABUK CITY, Kalinga — Young iKalingas are being encouraged to consider coffee farming as a profession and a viable source of livelihood, as the Department of Agriculture (DA) emphasized the need to engage the next generation in sustaining the country’s coffee industry.

Enrique Dela Cruz, National Coffee Focal Person of the DA Coffee Development Office, made the call while representing DA Undersecretary for Special Concerns and Official Development Assistance Jerome V. Oliveros during the 2nd Kalinga Invitational Coffee Quality and Sustainable Congress held at the Kalinga State University Main Campus in Bulanao on September 8.

Dela Cruz said farming should no longer be viewed simply as a traditional way of life or a last resort, but as a career that can provide young people with income, dignity and opportunities for a better future.

“We want our young people to see farming not as a last resort, but as a profession. Not simply for a way of life but some way to build a better life,” he said.

He added that coffee farming, when properly developed, can provide young people with a sustainable livelihood and recognition in their communities.

“Coffee is cheap but it can make you a good career, you can earn good income, get the respect of the community,” Dela Cruz said.

Farmers must earn more

Dela Cruz stressed that attracting young people to agriculture also requires making farming economically viable for existing farmers.

He said the success of the coffee industry should not be measured solely by production volume but also by whether farmers earn enough from their labor.

“When we come to a place like this, we are reminded that agriculture is something that happens in the office, it happens here in the mountains, in the farms, under the sun and in the hands of people who work every single day,” he said.

Dela Cruz emphasized that improved coffee quality should translate into better prices for farmers, while government investments in facilities and other interventions should reach the communities that need them.

Climate resilience crucial to coffee’s future

Dela Cruz also warned that climate change poses growing challenges to coffee farmers, making climate resilience an important part of the industry’s future.

He called for improved planting materials and climate-resilient varieties, better soil and water management, appropriate shading and farm systems, stronger pest and disease management, and timely weather information for farmers.

“We are entering a period where climate risks are becoming even more difficult to predict... we need weather information that reaches farmers before, not after the disaster,” he said.

He said farmers need timely information to guide decisions on planting, farm maintenance and harvesting and to prepare for severe weather events.

Dela Cruz also called for technologies that farmers can easily understand and use, as well as infrastructure that can help protect their investments from extreme weather.

“We need technology that is understandable and usable and other infrastructure so that once storm does not erase the entire season's hard work. In other words, resilience must become part of the business model of Philippine coffee,” he said.

Dela Cruz said building a productive, profitable and climate-resilient coffee industry is essential to making agriculture more attractive to the next generation.

For young iKalingas, he said, coffee farming can be more than a tradition—it can become a profession capable of providing a sustainable and better future.