Davao City—Cacao farmers in Davao Oriental are all set to supply high quality beans to a multi-awarded chocolate maker after receiving fresh financial aid from the World Bank-funded Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP).
The “Fermented Cacao Beans Marketing Enterprise Subproject” involving farmers’ cooperatives in seven municipalities aims to produce quality beans for the products of Malagos Chocolates owned by the Puentespina family of Davao City.
The PRDP-funded project would be centralized under the lead proponent group, Nagmasid Agrarian Reform Cooperative of the San Isidro municipality, to establish postharvest and marketing facilities in the seven municipalities of Davao Oriental.
The six other groups are the Panikian Cacao Small Farmers Association in Banaybanay, Nagkahiusang Kristohanong Mag-uuma sa Cocornon Cooperatives in Lupon, Governor Generoso Cacao Growers Association in Governor Generoso, Limot Mandaya Tribal Multi-purpose Cooperative in Tarragona, Yagakauyon na Kooperatiba sa San Ignacio in Manay, and the Davao Oriental Coconut Industry Development Coalition in the city of Mati.
The PRDP approved the funding requirement of P14 million for the project under its Investment for Rural Enterprise for Agricultural Productivity (I-REAP) component. The check was handed over to Nagmasid cooperative on July 1.
1 comment