Coffee production in the Philippines

[2] The Philippines is one of the few countries that produce the four main viable coffee varieties; Arabica, Liberica (Barako), Excelsa and Robusta.

Muslim pilgrims had already smuggled Yemeni seed to west India, the real source of Dutch seedlings, and probably introduced it to Sumatra.

Coffee production was later promoted by Augustinian friars Elias Nebreda and Benito Varas in other parts of Batangas such as Ibaan, Lemery, San Jose, Taal, and Tanauan.

However, Lipa remained as the main producer of coffee in the Philippines and Batangas barako cost five times as much as Java beans.

It imports about 75,000-100,000 metric tons of dried coffee beans amounting ₱7 billion−10 billion from Vietnam and Indonesia according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).

[10] By 2016, according to PhilMech, an agency under DA, Mindanao is the leader of local production of dried coffee beans.

Coffee production in traditional cultivation areas such as the Cordillera and Calabarzon experienced a decline due to strong typhoons which battered the region in the same year.

[10] While 2020 brought further challenges – including the COVID-19 pandemic and the Taal Volcano eruption – it could also mark the beginning of a new era for Philippine specialty coffee.

For the first time in history, a locally produced coffee won the 2020 Philippine National Barista Championship (PNBC).

[12] Sitios Balutakay and Pluto, Barangay Managa, Bansalan strategically located at Mount Apo's foothills is one of the best sources of Arabica coffee (Citrus Sparkle) in Southeast Asia.

Extreme weather events have destroyed coffee plantations in the Philippines and are having long-term effects on production.