THE Department of Agriculture (DA) in Davao Region will gather cacao stakeholders on the upcoming Regional Cacao Congress on July 31 in Davao City.
Focusing on the theme "Positioning Davao Region as the country's cacao capital," the congress will serve as an ideal forum for the DA to present its various programs and assistance to cacao farmers.
Topics to be covered include DA's production support, postharvest and processing, and marketing. It will also discuss the World-Bank funded Philippine Rural Development Project's (PRDP) assistance for the development of cacao value chain.
Secretary Proceso J. Alcala will grace the event together with Secretary Lualhati Antonino of the Mindanao Development Authority (Minda).
The two government agencies wanted the Davao Region and the rest of Mindanao to rise up to the Cacao 2020 challenge and take advantage of the huge global demand for cacao.
A memorandum of agreement for the Cacao Double-Up Program will be conducted during the event. The said program will combine DA and MinDA's expertise and resources to create more laudable impact to the industry.
For every investment that the DA will pour in for cacao industry, MinDA will also pour in the same amount. Hence, the double-up program scheme.
The program was conceptualized since last year in order to increase the production of cacao in Mindanao.
It also aims to help Mindanao attain its 100,000 metric tons of cacao production by 2020 that will be used to at least supply the 10 percent global deficiency of 1 million MT.
Data from DA-HVCDP (High Value Commercial Crops Development Program) shows 90 percent of the total cacao production in the country is mostly sourced from Mindanao and 80 percent of which is from Davao Region.
As of last year, about 6,000 hectares were planted in the region and 3,700 hectares of which is found in Compostela Valley Province.
"Aside from banana and durian, which Davao region is the leading producer, we are prioritizing support to cacao industry so that we can position the region as the country's cacao capital," Agriculture Director Remelyn Recoter said.