SOME three million cacao seedlings are set to be distributed by the Department of Agriculture (DA)-Davao Region to 241 farmer organizations in Davao Region in a bid to increase the region's cacao production in the coming years.
Dario Divino, DA-Davao Region focal person for cacao, told SunStar Davao in an interview that the biggest share of seedlings will go to Davao del Sur with 900,000 to 41 farmer organizations. Compostela Valley has the second largest share with 800,000 seedlings to 54 farmer organizations.
Forty farmer organizations in Davao Oriental are set to receive 640,000 seedlings; 410,000 seedlings will be distributed to 56 farmer organizations in Davao City; and 41 organizations in Davao del Norte and nine organizations in Davao Occidental will each receive 200,000 seedlings.
Divino said the grafted seedlings they will be distributing to farmers are the UF18 and PBC 123 varieties.
He said the distribution of the seedlings has already begun and they have started the dissemination to the farmer organizations in Davao City. By the end of the year, they eye to supply all the 241 farmer organizations.
Divino also said the distribution of the seedlings is part of the Cacao Double Up Program, which seeks to increase the country's production of cacao to 100,000 metric tons by 2020. The program also covers a total of 200,000 hectares and targets to plant some 100 million cacao trees.
Aside from helping expand cacao plantations in the region, DA-Davao Region is also set to distribute some 33,000 bags of fertilizer, 400 pieces of pole prunners, 40 units of fermentation facilities, and 40 units of dryers to the farmers. They are also set to put up 10 cacao seedling nurseries.