MAGUINDANAO “NORTH STAR UPI” COFFEE WAGI SA 2020 PARIS INTERNATIONAL COFFEE COMPETITION

Nagwagi ang Philippine coffee “North Star Upi” mula sa Upi, Maguindanao sa GOURMET ARGENT PRIZE para sa “Puissant Doux” catergory sa 6^th International Locally Roasted Coffees Contest na inorganisa ng Agency for Valorization of Agricultural Products (AVPA) sa Paris, France.

Suportado mula 2017 ng Philippine Embassy in Paris, at ng Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Paris (PTIC Paris), pinangunahan ngayon taon ang entry submission ng Pilipinas nina Jun Gepte kumawatan sa Malibacao Agri Coop ng Upi, Maguindanao, Zo Lim, Butch Acop at Rich Watanabe ng The Coffee Heritage Project.

Ang award-winning “North Star Upi,” ay isang mixed coffee varietal na pinalaki ng mga miyembro ng Malibacao Agri Coop. na matatagpuan sa Upi, Magundanao. Tradisyong pinoproseso ang “North Star Upi” coffees sa pamamagitan ng natural na pagpapatuyo.

Ang Maguindanao coffee’s entry sa AVPA ay isang collaborate effort sa pagitan ng “North Star Upi” ng Malibacao Agri Coop at Coffee Heritage Project (CHP), isang non-profit private na nakatuon upang matulungan ang mga magsasaka na mapalago ang kalidad na kape.

“Our project with Maguindanao coffee began in early 2019 assisted by a long-time colleague Martin Mapolon, who at the time was working with the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). The award winning Maguindanao coffee is a result of almost 2 years of continuous coffee quality improvement and community development efforts of everyone involved,” paliwanag ni Mr. Rich Watanabe, Executive Director ng CHP.

 “We look forward to the AVPA PARIS recognition to help promote and drive market demand for our native coffee from Maguindanao, and ultimately, help preserve our local coffee heritage,” giit naman ni Jun Gepte ng North Star Upi.

Ibinahagi naman ni Zo Lim ang kanyang mga sentiyemento kaugnay sa Maguindanao coffee entry sa AVPA PARIS Contest.

“We’re all hoping the AVPA PARIS recognition on Maguindanao coffee would bring positive change in terms of increased market demand for their coffees. And more importantly, add a positive narrative to Maguindanao, to Maguindanao coffee farmers and their communities, and have Maguindanao known as a place where one of the best coffees in the world is grown,” ayon kay Lim.

 “Not only does the AVPA recognition immensely enrich our local coffee experience, but it also dignifies the exceptional work Filipino coffee farmers put into their farm. We are at the doorstep of a new era in Philippine coffee, an era of internationally recognized locally roasted quality coffees! It is indeed encouraging to see a lot of positive consumer response on these exceptional local coffees,” dagdag naman ni Butch Acop ng  CHP.

Ito na ang ika-apat na international award na natanggap ng Pilipinas mula sa prestihiyosong pagligsahan na inorganisa ng AVPA PARIS (Agence pour la Valorisation des Produits Agricoles) at nilahukan ng libo-libo nitong mga miyembro (mainly growers) mula sa iba’t ibang panig ng mundo.

Layunin ng ABPA ay magbigay ng kotribusyon sa pagpapahusay sa kahalagahan ng agricultural products at kilalanin ang kahusayan ng mga producers.

Matatandaan na nagwagi rin ang Maguindanao coffees ng  “North Star Upi” sa AVPA PARIS 2020 na tinanghal na isa ang Pilipinas sa may pinakamasarap na kape sa buong mundo.

Kabilang sa mga bansa na lumahok sa contest ay ang Pilipinas, Peru, Colombia, Mexico, Honduras, Indonesia, Laos, Haiti, Gabon, Vietnam, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Tanzania, Togo.

Kabilang sa mga naparangalan na kape ng Pilipinas ng AVPA Paris International Contest for Locally Roasted Coffees noong mga nakaraan ay ang Bana’s Coffee (Sagada, 2017), Mirabueno Coffee (Bukidnon, 2019), and SGD Coffee (Northern Sagada, 2019).