Mindanao cacao farmers who dream of becoming successful entrepreneurs get much-needed boost from DTI, Sen. Bam Aquino

Farmers in Mindanao belonging to the Cacao Nurturing Network (CacaoNNet) on Thursday received a much-needed boost from the government after the organization signed in Barangay Balingaeng, Tugbok District in Davao City a memorandum of understanding with officials of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) that was witnessed by Sen. Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV.

The DTI, through its flagship Shared Service Facility (SSF) program will initially help 198 small cacao farmers of CacaoNNet improve their productivity and enhance their competitiveness by providing them with post-harvest facilities for the fermentation and drying of cacao beans.

“We welcome the assistance extended to us by the DTI and Senator Aquino’s support for the small cacao farmers’ initiative to be more efficient and productive,” said Enalyn Gusi, cacao farmer and managing director of the network.

CacaoNNet is composed of 2,897 farmers belonging to 71 associations and cooperatives in Davao City, Davao Oriental, Davao del Sur, Bukidnon, and Agusan del Sur. The network was organized in May 2012 through the help of national peasant federation Task Force Mapalad.

The post-harvest facilities that will be provided by the DTI to CacacoNNet through the SSF program will be composed of mechanical cum solar dryer and fermentation boxes for the processing of cacao beans planted in 1,174 hectares of land in Davao City’s Barangay Tamugan in Marilog District, and Barangay Tawan-Tawan in Baguio District.

CacaoNNet farmers will also be given trainings by the DTI on business enterprise operation and management that will help them understand business cycles and how can these be applied to farming business involving cacao products.

“The SSF project and the training from DTI will help us bring down the cost of processing cacao beans and pursue our dream of becoming successful entrepreneurs and attractive partners to large cacao buyers in the country and abroad,” said Gusi.

“Who knows, in the future, with full government support initiated by pro-small entrepreneur public officials like Senator Aquino, small farmers like us will not just engage in growing cacao but realize our sweetest dream of doing business and participating in the cacao value chain as a viable pathway out of poverty,” she said.

CacaoNNet is hoping that through forward-looking lawmakers like Senator Aquino, author of the recently enacted Republic Act 10644 or the Go Negosyo Act, small farmers will be able to easily avail of government services and schemes that can help their cacao business grow and flourish.

Amid the global shortfall in cacao supply, CacaoNNet farmers are planning to expand their operations in other areas in Mindanao and the Visayas.

Currently, the network operates in 1,706 hectares of cacao plantations in Davao City, Davao Oriental and Davao del Sur, while exerting efforts to expand cacao production in the provinces of Bukidnon, and  Agusan del Sur. But production in these areas has not yet been maximized due to inadequate production support and post-harvest facilities.

CacaoNNet only has nine facilities for the drying and fermentation of cacao beans that can only produce between 22 and 45 tons of unfermented and fermented dry cacao beans monthly.

“Ideally, for us to operate in full capacity, there should be two facilities per association or cooperative or about 150 facilities for the whole network,” Gusi said.

The global deficit for cacao supply is estimated to hit one million metric tons by 2020, according to the DTI.  Currently, the Philippines only produces 25,000 metric tons of cacao beans annually.

 The DTI is encouraging Filipino farmers to take advantage of the situation by increasing cacao production by 45 percent and cultivating up to 150,000 hectares of land for cacao trees.