DAR VISTA Project Conducts Educational Visit to DSSC RCIC
The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), through its Value Chain Innovation for Sustainable Transformation in Agrarian Reform Communities (VISTA) Project, conducted an educational visit to the Regional Coffee Innovation Center (RCIC) of Davao del Sur State College (DSSC), giving participants firsthand exposure to the Center's research, extension, and innovation initiatives in the Philippine coffee industry.
The activity was conducted on July 28, 2026 at two sites: the Coffee Research Site (in collaboration with DSSC-RCIC and Dizon Farms) located in Sitio Bacoco, Brgy. Kapatagan, Digos City, Davao del Sur and the RCIC and Museum within the Main Campus of DSSC. The visit was attended by the team from the VISTA Project, along with officials and personnel from various provincial and regional offices of the Department of Agrarian Reform. The RCIC team facilitated the discussions and technical demonstrations, engaging participants on coffee production and quality evaluation.
The educational visit aimed to strengthen participants' knowledge of the coffee value chain, particularly on sustainable production, post-harvest processing, quality assessment, and research initiatives that enhance the competitiveness of the Philippine coffee industry. During the field visit, the RCIC team presented its ongoing coffee research and demonstrated the implementation of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) for Coffee Production at the research site. Participants were introduced to research technologies and nutrient management practices that improve coffee productivity, quality, and sustainability under the Mt. Apo growing conditions.
In the afternoon, the delegation toured the RCIC and Museum, where they learned about the history of the Philippine coffee industry, coffee quality evaluation protocols, and the role of sensory analysis in quality assessment. Participants also experienced a coffee cupping session and enjoyed specialty coffee beverages at BrewNiversity, experiencing the campus-based coffee shop while appreciating locally produced coffee.
The educational visit highlighted the partnership between government agencies and academic institutions in advancing coffee research, innovation, and capacity building. Through initiatives such as this, the DSSC-RCIC aims to fulfill its role as a center dedicated to coffee research, technology transfer, and stakeholder engagement, committed to promoting a more sustainable and competitive Philippine coffee industry.
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