Production of the world’s most expensive coffee produced by civet cats on a farm at the foothills of Mt. Apo is said to be helping farmers in the community.
Civet coffee farm owner Sonny Dizon explained to media the symbiotic relationship between humans and civet cats.
“Civet cats are a farmer’s biggest enemy as they are considered pests on the farm. The only way farmers can get rid of the cats is by killing them. So I thought there must be some way we could make use of the civets that farmers could also take advantage of,” Dizon said.
This led him to cage some civets on his farm in Kapatagan, Davao del Sur and started feeding the animals with the best coffee beans and the civets in excreted them as droppings ready for hulling and roasting to produce the so-called Civet Coffee.
Dizon’s Crocodile Park in Davao City has also become an official rescue center for these civets from the wild.
Coffee farmers have been greatly benefited at the onset by the civet coffee production in the Davao region. Dizon said his farm buys the best coffee bean products from the farmers to be used as feed for the civets.
The farm produces 60 to 90 parchments of civet coffee every week which are then sold to regular buyers from Manila and foreign countries.
In Davao City, Dizon sells civet coffee beans to a local coffee shop–Chicco de Café–the only shop in the city that offers Civet Coffee.
The Mt Apo Civet and Altura coffee beans are also available at the Crocodile Park, some souvenir shops at the Davao International Airport, Dizon Farms ahop on Rizal Street, Hotel Galleria, Villa Margarita, and D’Leonor Hotel.
Only recently, Dizon’s civet coffee also gained international acceptance during the Food and Hotel Thailand Show held in Bangkok.
The Philippine Coffee Board (PCB) had brought samples of green and roasted civet coffee which was a hit with the judges in the show.
The PCB considers a significant achievement for the country the production of the civet coffee. [PIA-11/Mai Gevera-Macapagat]
Civet coffee farm owner Sonny Dizon explained to media the symbiotic relationship between humans and civet cats.
“Civet cats are a farmer’s biggest enemy as they are considered pests on the farm. The only way farmers can get rid of the cats is by killing them. So I thought there must be some way we could make use of the civets that farmers could also take advantage of,” Dizon said.
This led him to cage some civets on his farm in Kapatagan, Davao del Sur and started feeding the animals with the best coffee beans and the civets in excreted them as droppings ready for hulling and roasting to produce the so-called Civet Coffee.
Dizon’s Crocodile Park in Davao City has also become an official rescue center for these civets from the wild.
Coffee farmers have been greatly benefited at the onset by the civet coffee production in the Davao region. Dizon said his farm buys the best coffee bean products from the farmers to be used as feed for the civets.
The farm produces 60 to 90 parchments of civet coffee every week which are then sold to regular buyers from Manila and foreign countries.
In Davao City, Dizon sells civet coffee beans to a local coffee shop–Chicco de Café–the only shop in the city that offers Civet Coffee.
The Mt Apo Civet and Altura coffee beans are also available at the Crocodile Park, some souvenir shops at the Davao International Airport, Dizon Farms ahop on Rizal Street, Hotel Galleria, Villa Margarita, and D’Leonor Hotel.
Only recently, Dizon’s civet coffee also gained international acceptance during the Food and Hotel Thailand Show held in Bangkok.
The Philippine Coffee Board (PCB) had brought samples of green and roasted civet coffee which was a hit with the judges in the show.
The PCB considers a significant achievement for the country the production of the civet coffee. [PIA-11/Mai Gevera-Macapagat]
