The Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Tuesday it has allocated P16 million to increase cacao production in Zamboanga Peninsula in its bid to make the region the “cacao capital” of Mindanao.
Ana S. Aying, DA High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) coordinator for Region 9, said the fund will be used to distribute 450,000 cacao seedlings to farmers in the region this year.
“The DA alone has allotted P16 million for cacao planting materials and this would cover 900,000 hectares for the entire region. We will likely have a blooming cacao industry in the peninsula in the coming years,” Aying said.
This will ultimately allow farmers to take advantage of the increasing demand in cacao in the world market, according to the DA.
“The world market has forecasted that cacao would be very much in demand for the production of cocoa butter and chocolate in the next five years,” the DA said.
Aying said the DA and the Mindanao Development Authority are also coordinating for the Cacao Double-Up Program, which aims to establish a cacao nursery facility.
“There will be four structures to be established region-wide, one in Zamboanga City, one in Molave, Zamboanga del Sur and two in Zamboanga del Norte. Each facility will cost P1.3 million, totaling P5.2 million under the HVCDP,” she said.
During the Cacao Industry Cluster Meeting held recently in Zamboanga City, Cluster Chairman Angelo H. Sunglao said the “2020 Challenge” for the cacao industry aims to produce 100,000 metric tons (MT) of cacao beans in five years.
“The world demand for cacao and its products is increasing and we need to plant now, so eventually, we will become the cacao capital in Mindanao,” he said.
The cluster meeting identified the responsible agencies and individuals who will properly train the farmers, cooperatives, private organizations and other interested groups regarding cacao production.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that the country’s cacao production in 2014 rose by 11.32 percent to 5,427.66 MT, as compared to 4,875.82 MT in 2013.
Zamboanga Peninsula accounted for 128.30 MT of the total production in 2014, the PSA said.
