Bo’s Coffee to help increase demand for local Arabica coffee
HOMEGROWN Coffee Chain BO’S Coffee will help to make Philippine Arabica coffee popular in the local market.
The country’s Arabica coffee has a large potential to achieve the same success as that of the fresh and processed mangoes in Cebu which is known for its quality all over the world, said Bo’s Coffee founder and chief executive officer Steve Benitez last Wednesday.
Benitez plans to use his 58 coffee outlet chains to help push and popularize Arabica coffee in the market.
“Creating local demand will encourage more farmers to grow Arabica; and thus, help the industry become more ready especially when the ASEAN integration happens in 2015,” said Benitez.
coffee beans source
Benitez said that they source their Arabica beans from five areas in the country which includes Kitanglad in Bukidnon, Mt. Apo, Benguet, Matutum in Cotabato and Sagada.
They use the beans for their coffee blends as well as sell the beans in packs labeled under Philippine Coffee Origins which details from which area the beans were sourced.
Benitez said that they have also partnered with the Philippine Coffee Board for the education side to make people aware about Arabica and why it is the best coffee species there is and what its potential is in the global market.
“Demand for coffee in the country now is at 70,000 to 90,000 tons but the country only produces 30,000 to 35,000 tons which means there is still a large market that local farmers can tap. All we need to do is make our locally-grown coffee known first in the local market and then move into other markets abroad,” he said.
Today there are three coffee species grown in the country which includes Robusta, Barako and Arabica. Of the three, Robusta is most widely- grown as the coffee species is used by Nestlé Philippines for their instant coffee products./Reporter Aileen Garcia-Yap
