Kiamba agriculture advances with new P200-M plantation project

KIAMBA, Sarangani (March 28, 2010) – Canadian Rocky Mountain Arabica Coffee Company, Inc. and the municipal government have entered into an agreement for a P200-million coffee plantation project.

The signing of the memorandum of agreement was made at the State of the Municipality Address (SOMA) of Mayor Rom Falgui on March 23. Falgui said agricultural development is one of his centerpieces of governance.

“Mayor Falgui plays a very active role in bridging the tribe and make things happen,” Rocky Mountain Director Pierre Yvet Cote said in an interview.

The project will have an initial P10-million investment for the main farm in Falel, according to Cote .

Falel is a Tboli village. “We work with the aboriginal tribe and we are always interested to work with the Tboli ever since.”

“This P10-million investment will lead to the P200-million investment and will benefit the local farmers through the 100 satellite farms around the main farm,” Cote said.

Arabica coffee is suitable to high altitude mountains of Kiamba. Cote said ten plantations will be built nationwide.

In his SOMA, Falgui said the local government poured P57-million for its agricultural programs particularly on its 60-hectare organic farming and community livelihood.

“We have applied intensified technology for our agricultural production with the assistance from our partners from national agencies, the provincial government, and even international companies,” Falgui said.

In his first term of office as the local chief executive, Falgui has brought the biggest two medical missions in Kiamba equivalent to P80-million worth of medical services from the University of Santo Tomas Medical Mission Inc..

Falgui emphasized the value of partnership and community participation in bringing development to Kiamba.

On his part, Casimiro Olvida of the Philippine Governance Project (EcoGov), said this is part of the public-private partnership by the local government to improve its Forest Land Use Plan. (Russtum G. Pelima/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)