- Title: Philippines' coffee capital suffers brunt of volcano
- Date: 19th January 2020
- Summary: AMADEO, CAVITE PROVINCE, PHILIPPINES (JANUARY 19, 2020) (REUTERS) TRAFFIC PASSING BY SIGN READING (English): "WELCOME TO AMADEO COFFEE CAPITAL OF THE PHILIPPINES" MAN BRUSHING ASH OFF OF ROOF SIGN ON WALL READING (English): "OLIVIA'S COFFEE ESTATE CUP OL' JOE" VARIOUS OF COFFEE PROCESSOR AND FARMER, OLIVIA LANSANG, BREAKING DEAD LIMBS AND SHAKING ASH OFF OF COFFEE TREE (SOUNDBITE) (English) COFFEE PROCESSOR AND FARMER, OLIVIA LANSANG, SAYING: "So for this month, January, we're about to harvest this. But because there are no more (coffee) flowers, which will be the fruits for the next harvest season, no more leaves, they're falling off, so that might be, approximately ten percent for this season will be lost, but for the next two years, it will be like approximately fifty percent will be lost. That's what I'm thinking." LANSANG STEPPING ON ASH COVERED PLANTS LANSANG SAYING (English): "AND THIS BANANA TREE. NOW IT'S DEAD." DEAD COFFEE FLOWERS ON NEARBY COFFEE TREE (SOUNDBITE) (English) COFFEE PROCESSOR AND FARMER, OLIVIA LANSANG, SAYING: "Well, what I'm thinking about is the the farmers, because the farmers are getting their income from the fruits, right, of coffee. So if the effect is huge, their livelihood will be affected as well, because they have to make ends meet between harvest season up until the next year. So it will be like a huge effect on the next year and next two year's harvest season. It will be very hard for them." MOTORBIKE DRIVING ON ROAD SURROUNDED BY COFFEE TREES COVERED IN ASH VARIOUS OF 59 YEAR-OLD COFFEE FARMER, RANDY MENDOZA, SHAKING ASH OFF OF COFFEE TREES (SOUNDBITE) (Filipino) 59 YEAR-OLD COFFEE FARMER, RANDY MENDOZA, SAYING: "These trees still have some berries left so we might still be able to sell coffee, but next year for sure there won't be any left because it needs to recover. It would be better if they survive, but if they don't then it will have a bit impact on us because we will need to do a lot of work, a lot of capital needed to replant them." VARIOUS OF MENDOZA PICKING COFFEE BERRIES OFF OF GROUND SIGN READING (English): "CAFE AMADEO DEVELOPMENT COOPERATIVE"/ TRAFFIC CARTOON BILLBOARD OF WOMAN AND COFFEE CUP/ TRAFFIC VARIOUS OF SECRETARY OF GENERAL MANAGER OF CAFE AMADEO DEVELOPMENT COOPERATIVE, ARNOLD BAY, MAKING COFFEE (SOUNDBITE) (English) SECRETARY OF GENERAL MANAGER OF CAFE AMADEO DEVELOPMENT COOPERATIVE, ARNOLD BAY, SAYING: "Having the volcanic eruption and ash fall has a really big effect to our community, especially in our cooperative. Why? Because when it comes to our sales, to our coffee beans to our roast beans, it's a really big effect." VARIOUS OF STAFF ARRANGING COFFEE BAGS (SOUNDBITE) (English) SECRETARY OF GENERAL MANAGER OF CAFE AMADEO DEVELOPMENT COOPERATIVE, ARNOLD BAY, SAYING: "We will be buying some bulk orders to (from) some city municipalities which is not affected by the ash fall. So we're looking forward for the next following years, that we will be having a lack of coffee beans, no more supplies, so I think we have to replant more trees." TAGAYTAY, PHILIPPINES (JANUARY 19, 2020) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF TAAL VOLCANO
- Embargoed: 2nd February 2020 11:27
- Keywords: Philippines Taal coffee volcano
- Location: AMADEO, CAVITE PROVINCE/ TAGAYTAY, PHILIPPINES
- City: AMADEO, CAVITE PROVINCE/ TAGAYTAY, PHILIPPINES
- Country: Philippines
- Topics: Disaster/Accidents
- Reuters ID: LVA001BWU722V
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Coffee farmer, trader, and processor Olivia Lansang, of the Philippines' Amadeo town, says she expects a sizeable harvest this year despite the heavy allotment of ash from the nearby Taal volcano covering her plants.
But it's the next few years of harvests that she's worried about.
"Approximately ten percent for this season will be lost, but for the next two years, it will be like approximately fifty percent will be lost," she said, dusting off one of her sunken Robusta coffee trees.
Originally introduced to the region by the Spanish centuries ago, coffee farming is one of the major industries in Amadeo, a city that greets its visitors with a "coffee capital of the Philippines" welcome sign.
Lansang's family has owned the coffee farm for three generations, and her coffee processing, which relies on the harvests of local farmers, is an established brand name.
Nevertheless, Lansang says this is one of the worst disasters she's seen on her farm, with the ash fall killing many of the coffee trees' budding flowers that will form the berries for next year's harvest.
The government has introduced some subsidies for farmers and provided them with a few extra coffee plants, but some farmers feel it's barely enough to cope with the upcoming losses of next year's harvest.
"It would be better if they (coffee trees) survive, but if they don't then it will have a big impact on us because we will need to do a lot of work, a lot of capital needed to replant them," said coffee farmer Randy Mendoza.
Local coffee cooperative and seller Cafe Amadeo is already making plans to compensate for next year's predicted outlook. They plan to buy bulk orders form cities unaffected by the ash fall instead of relying entirely on local growers.
Volcanic ash has caused an estimated 3.06 billion pesos ($60.17 million) worth of damage to crops, livestock and fish farms, based on the latest data from the agriculture department.
(Production: Joseph Campbell) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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