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agriculture

Coffee, cacao innovation hub eyed in Batangas

By DOST-STIIMay 25, 2026
CategoryAgricultureTopicCrop Production and Plant CultureTopicAgricultural Engineering and TechnologyTopicInnovation and Technology DevelopmentTopicApplied ResearchTopicAgricultural Economics and Management
A group of seven individuals standing in front of a building entrance, all smiling and raising one finger as a gesture of unity or achievement.

Officials from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST)-Batangas, Sorosoro Ibaba Development Cooperative (SIDC), and the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) pose for a photo after a meeting to boost the coffee and cacao industries through science, technology, and innovation (STI) in Batangas City on April 22, 2026. The DOST-Batangas and its partners plan to establish a niche center for coffee and cacao innovation and knowledge creation. (Contributed photo by DOST Batangas)

CALAMBA CITY, Laguna – The Department of Science and Technology (DOST)-Batangas is partnering with a cooperative and a philanthropic arm of the Aboitiz family to strengthen the coffee and cacao industries through science, technology and innovation.

John Maico Hernandez, senior science research specialist at DOST-Batangas, disclosed in a phone interview Friday a potential collaboration with Sorosoro Ibaba Development Cooperative (SIDC) and the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) to establish a niche center for coffee and cacao innovation and knowledge creation.

The proposed hub would serve as a one-stop facility for research, technology transfer, product development, and farmer training, supporting the entire value chain from production and processing to market linkage.

“The joint initiative seeks to maximize the productivity of over 22,000 coffee and cacao trees already established under their program, while creating opportunities to aggregate and utilize outputs from local farmers,” Hernandez said.

He said SIDC, a Batangas-based cooperative renowned for its market-driven agribusiness ventures such as coffee roasting and cacao processing, has long empowered local farmers.

On the other hand, RAFI, through its environmental arm, advances sustainability through tree planting and community projects, including the ongoing coffee-cacao initiative with SIDC. (PNA)