DUMAGUETE CITY – Multi-awarded Baslay Highland Agriculture Cooperative (BASHACO) in Dauin, Negros Oriental is expanding its production area to address the growing demand for its famous coffee brew.

BASHACO president and chief executive officer Ruel Perez said in an interview on Friday that the expansion includes an additional 88 hectares of government land leased to the cooperative.

“Currently, the cooperative has 60,000 coffee seedlings in its nursery, and that will be enough for an 88-hectare expansion that will help us bounce back,” Perez said.

He explained that over the past year, they were unable to meet the demand for their processed coffee due to a low harvest caused by last year’s El Niño episode and the impacts of climate change.

Perez stated that the cooperative, famous for its Baslay Highland Brew, was heavily impacted, harvesting less than 20 percent of its typical 16 tons.

He emphasized that BASHACO is practicing climate-smart farming that is sustainable to fight climate change through an agroforestry approach.

Perez noted that the cooperative’s activities go beyond just planting coffee; they also include growing and maintaining forest trees, particularly native and endemic species.

The cooperative is currently sourcing coffee beans from other cooperatives and associations that have partnered with or been assisted by BASHACO while they are still recovering, he added.

Starting as Baslay Farmers’ Association before it became BASHACO in 2019, the cooperative was granted 120 hectares of government land by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) under the Community-based Forest Management Agreement.

Over 150 members actively participate in communal and individual coffee farming activities.

BASHACO is now also planting and inter-cropping cacao or cocoa trees, as well as producing tablea (ground chocolate paste).

In June this year, BASHACO received the Golden Quill Award for the Community Relations Category of First Gen-Energy Development Corporation (EDC) in Vancouver, Canada.

First Gen-EDC, the largest renewable energy company in the country, said BASHACO's focus on sustainable community development and clear communication suggests it could win awards for communication and social responsibility.

Perez highlighted that the company’s contribution to BASHACO over the years, from its development to its current state, is invaluable.

First Gen-EDC operates the 222.5-megawatt geothermal power plants in Valencia, Negros Oriental, and has partnered with BASHACO over the years in sustainable agriculture and development.