SULU -The Philippine Rural Development Project, Regional Project Coordination Office BARMM held a groundbreaking ceremony on October 15 for the Construction of an All-Weather Drying Facility for Coffee in Barangay Latih, Patikul, Sulu.
This drying facility is worth PhP593,770 funded under the World Bank’s 2nd Additional Financing with EU Co-Financing Grant designed to support the Kankitap Consumers Cooperative, a local coffee producer in Patikul, Sulu known as one of Mindanao’s greatest coffee growers, particularly for their Specialty Robusta type.
The facility will support the cooperative’s Powder Coffee Processing and Marketing subproject under the I-REAP component, enhancing its ability to dry coffee beans regardless of weather conditions.
As one of Mindanao’s top producers of Robusta coffee, the cooperative will have better capacity to dry and process their coffee beans even during the rainy season. This will lead to better quality products and increased income for the cooperative members.
Present during the ceremonial groundbreaking were Engr. Benhal I. Akalal, OIC PPDO of Sulu, Ronald Ancheta of MSU-Sulu, Lilibeth Tingay of MAFAR-Sulu, and the RPCO-BARMM team.
