THE cacao industry in the country wants to triple its national production with Davao Region, the cacao capital, leading the way, according to industry leaders on Monday, November 4.
By 2026, the Philippine Cacao Industry targets to produce 50,000 metric tons (MT) of quality fermented beans to meet the demands of the export and domestic markets, which means production should increase at least 40 percent annually from what it is right now.
Currently, the country only produces an estimated 15,000 MT of dried cacao beans where 80 percent of which comes from Davao Region. This is still a far cry from the 2026 goal but industry leaders aim to rally commitment from other regions to help increase production.
“If nakamit ang goal (If we reach the goal), more clients will come and more markets will be interested. Kung wala ka volume (If there is not enough volume), there would be markets we cannot serve,” Dante Muyco Jr., chairperson of the Davao Regional Cacao Industry Development Council, said.
To achieve this, the cacao industry should have 7,000 hectares of newly planted cacao trees and rehabilitate the existing 30,000 hectares by 2025. Each tree should also increase production to two kilos of beans per tree in a year.
“We will launch the production and post-harvest protocols that will guide farmers to be able to reach the two kilos goal. Aside from that, we want farmers to earn more income because if they cannot reach that level of production, the income is very minimal,” assistant regional director of Department of Trade and Industry in Davao and national secretariat for the Philippine Cacao Industry Delia M. Ayano said.
The increased production means that farmers would be able to generate a gross income of at least P130,000 per hectare per year, and significantly reduce poverty among cacao farmers.
In line with this, Davao City and Davao Region will take the initiative to lead other cacao-producing regions as the country’s Chocolate Capital and Cacao Capital respectively.
“Davao is the one helping other regions because first of all, andito ang kakayahan ng mga tao (like farmers, producers, chocolate makers). Pangalawa, sanay tayo dito (with cacao farming) (Many of the skilled farmers and producers are here, and we have been used to cacao farming for a long time),” Muyco said.
According to Charito Puentespina, founder of the Malagos Agri-Ventures Corp. and member of the Philippine Cacao Indsutry Association Inc, Mindanao is also, fortunately, a prime spot for cacao farming which is why Davao Region is in the best position to strengthen its production.
Today, one of the biggest problems encountered by the cacao industry is the changing climate that affects the production season of cacao trees. Peak season usually happens from November to January while the low season is between May to June.
“All of a sudden parang, sabay na ang season. Marami masyado i-harvest. The farm practices that we do, parang nasisira. Ang programa mo, ang scheduling naiba. Ang malakas na ulan durig flowering season, nakakaapekto (The climate changes the harvest seasons we are used to. Our good farming practices are disrupted because of it),” Puentespina said.
The industry leaders hope to address these problems through innovations in cacao farming, government support, and massive distribution of quality seedlings to farmers - all of which are included in the Philippine Cacao Industry’s roadmap to be achieved before 2026.
Without the desired volume, the cacao industry cannot satisfy the demands of potential giant clients and the wider, global market. In the meantime, the industry is focusing on the Asian market.
“Foreign investors are looking into buying cacao from us but (they also) support on the production level dahil nagkakaroon tayo ng problema worldwide sa supply ng cacao (because there is a growing problem with the global supply of cacao) which is why they are eyeing the Philippines as one of the next strong cacao producers in Asia,” Muyco said. ICM