DAVAO ORIENTAL –The province of Davao Oriental is banking on Fermented Cacao Beans Marketing Enterprise Project which will benefit about 924 of the province.
The program which was launched on July 1, is aimed at supporting the smallholder cacao farmers that are funded under the Philippine Rural Development Program’s Investment for Rural Enterprise for Agricultural Productivity (I-REAP), Department of Agriculture, while the provincial government provides counterpart funds along with the proponents.
The project is meant to support the production, consolidation, and marketing of fermented beans and provide post-harvest facilities vis-a-vis the marketing.
The P14.5 million fund covers seven farmers’ associations and cooperatives in the municipalities of San Isidro, Manay, Tarragona, Lupon, Banaybanay, Governor Generoso, and Mati City.
During the launching, Governor Nelson Dayanghirang turned over post-harvest facilities and equipment to the NAGMASID Agrarian Reform Cooperative of San Isidro town, one of the beneficiaries.
The facilities and equipment include solar tunnel drier, fermentation facility, storage, cargo truck, weighing scale, and a moisture meter and the P1 million loan under the Provincial Cooperative Office’s credit program which will serve as the cooperative’s counterpart fund for the project.
Provincial Agriculturist Rotchie Ravelo said that the project aims to produce 227 metric tons of dried fermented cacao beans in the first year with an 85 percent increase in the third year onwards while, in process, also increasing the farmers’ income by 37.17 percent.
The project aims to produce quality fermented dried beans which has a higher market value compared to the traditional method which is often beyond the standard dried beans produced by farmers.
The fermentation process, Ravelo emphasized, will lessen the impurities of the beans and bring out its most desirable flavor, a quality which chocolate manufacturers are looking for in cacao beans.
Prospective clients include Puentespina Farm and Kenemer Foods Inc. who are exporting chocolates to the world market. The produce directly goes to the market.
Agriculture Regional Director Engr. Ricardo Oñate said that despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the huge demand for cacao has not diminished, saying the market for cacao beans is stable.
“While the province now has a local market, the DA is eyeing to secure export market for the local cacao industry. This is the reason why we are enhancing the production and our marketing strategies,” he said.
Dayanghirang said he is optimistic and supportive of the promising project that is touted to increase the income of the farmers and generate jobs amidst the coronavirus pandemic.
He added that the project will also lessen the farmers’ dependency on copra. “We don’t want our farmers to rely solely on coconut. Currently, we are embattled with the low price of copra. We must be resourceful to augment our income, try other possible means, like intercropping cacao. All it takes is hard work with determination,” he said.
Wilfredo Pleños, one of the 200 active members of the NAGMASID Agrarian Reform Cooperative in San Isidro, thanked the government for the opportunity “This is a very big help to boost the cacao industry and in turn help small farmers like us. I am filled with hope for this project”.
Aside from NAGMASID Agrarian Reform Cooperative, other cooperative-beneficiaries of the projects are the Davao Oriental Coconut Industry Development Coalition of the City of Mati, Limot Mandaya Tribal Multi-Purpose Cooperative of Tarragona town, Yagakauyon na Kooperatiba ng San Ignacio of Manay town, Gov. Generoso Farmers Association of Governor Generoso town, Panikian Cacao Small Farmers Association of Banaybanay town, and Nagkahiusang Kristohanong Mag-uuma of Lupon town.-Newsline with PR from DavOr
