GENERAL SANTOS CITY (13 August 2013) - Local officials and members of the business sector are looking into the possibility of turning Gen. Santos City as the next coffee capital of the South.
In a meeting with City Mayor Ronnel Rivera on August 6, representatives from Corporate Holdings Management, Inc. (CHMI) and Nestle Philippines proposed to establish a 50-hectare demo farm in the city to test and assess the capability of the land.
Jonathan Villaverde of Nestle Philippines also said Nestle is going to develop agricultural lands in the city for the coffee industry.
Targeted areas of development would be agricultural areas such as Barangay San Jose where the soil substrate is believed to be suitable to grow coffee.
Nestle Philippines will provide the training for the farmers, including how to cultivate and grow coffee; while CHMI will shoulder the project cost.
The entire process of planting from harvesting takes more or less 18 months, depending on the external factors that may deter or hasten the cultivation of coffee.
If the output of the demo farm will meet industry standards, Nestle Philippines will continue with plans to establish a coffee plantation in General Santos City.
Mayor Rivera welcomed the proposal saying that this will be good for the city’s economic growth and development.
The mayor added that this will also be an opportunity for employment for some of the residents in the city.
Establishment of a coffee industry in the city could also boost the marketability of the city in terms of tourism, added Rivera.
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