Cacao industry to get P49 M to rehab, boost production

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is allotting P49 million this year to rehabilitate and boost cacao production in the Davao region in line with efforts to sustain the region as the leading producer of quality cacao beans in the country.

The DA said the rehabilitation of senile cacao trees and plantations is one of the strategies to address the decline in cacao output.

Of the total budget, P42 million will be utilized for fertilizers while the remaining will be used for agricultural equipment.

“The DA will offer rehabilitation for cacao areas that already exist for at least 10 years which include a package technical as- sistance and training and provision of pruning equipment and fertilizers,” DA-High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) coordinator Melani Provido said.

The DA-HVCDP also tapped industry experts from the Kennemer Foods International Inc., the country’s leading buyer of cacao beans for domestic and export markets, in establishing technodemo sites for cacao rehabilitation.

The rehabilitation process will involve the identification of old trees; formative pruning on cacao trees; execution of chupon grafting or side grafting using selected scion or budstick; and fertilizer application using the recommended rate of cacao experts.

“One year after rehabilitation, farmers can expect increase in yield and improved quality cacao beans,”Provido said.

The world market has projected that cacao would be in demand for the production of cocoa butter and chocolate in the next five years.

It is also predicted that there would be a global shortage of one million metric tons (MT) of cacao by 2020.

In the Philippines alone, current production is not enough to meet the local demand of 30,000 MT yearly.

The DA aims to raise local production from 12,000 MT of dried cacao beans to 100,000 MT by 2020.