Two foundations said growing high quality coffee beans could be a profitable business for many small farms in Negros, especially those situated in higher areas.

This was revealed by the Negros Forests and Ecological Foundation Inc. and the Figaro Foundation Corp. in a statement yesterday after conducting a series of meetings last week. FFC is a foundation of the Figaro Coffee Company, a Filipino business which has 52 coffee shops in the Philippines, China and the United Arab Emirates.

Figaro uses only locally-grown beans, FFC director Pacita Juan said, adding that the Philippines produces some of the finest coffee beans in the world.

CIDA exec to
visit organic farm

An official of the Canadian International Development Agency will visit the organic farms of Sitio Tabidiao, Brgy. Mailum in Bago City tomorrow to look into the production, processing and marketing of organic rice, a press release from the Broad Initiatives for Negros Development said.

The community, which is 50 kilometers from Bacolod City, that CIDA Director General Pauleen Kehoe will visit contributed stocks to the organic rice that BIND exported to Switzerland in 2004, it said.

'Gov't debt down 68% of GDP'

The Philippines' foreign debts is expected to decrease to 68 percent from 72 percent of gross domestic product in 2005 as a result of the fiscal reforms initiated by Arroyo administration, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said in a statement from Malacañang yesterday.

Bunye said "If the trend continues, and we are confident it will, then we are well on our way to achieving a balanced budget on or before 2010."

He said the international market has responded favorably to the Arroyo administration's single-minded pursuit of fiscal reforms, and the efforts have reaped dividends for the country, the statement said.

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