CEBU CITY, August 8 -- A two-day congress organized by the Philippine Cacao Industry Council (PCIC) opened here on Tuesday to discuss issues and concerns of the different regions in the country and come up witgh appropriate solutions to further the cacao industry.
The National Cacao Congress opened at the Grand Convention Center with Senator Cynthia A. Villar as keynote speaker and with the aim of gathering key stakeholders, national government agencies, and local government units.
Seeking to revive the dwindling Philippine cacao industry and to provide additional income to local farmers, Sen. Villar crafted and filed Senate Bill No. 320, an act establishing a national program for the industry.
“I already filed the bill last year and I’m looking forward to its passage next month,” Villar said, adding that she is also considering amending the bill to include the coffee industry.
“After seeing the road map of the coffee industry, I might include it with cacao to justify the overhead of the bill. It will be a cacao/coffee development law,” she said.
The Philippines is among the countries in Asia to have a competitive edge on cacao production given its strategic location, growing condition and taking into account the over two million hectares of coconut farms which are ideal for coconut-cacao intercropping -- cacao being a shade-loving crop.
Despite the Philippines’ competitive edge, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) National Cacao Cluster coordinator Engr. Edwin Banquerigo said cacao production stands only at 10,000-12,000 metric tons (MT) from 30,000-35,000 hectares planted.
However, Philippine Statistics Authority data shows much lower figures at 13,910 hectares producing 6,020MT.
The biggest cacao plantation is in the Davao Region with 23,000 hectares, accounting for 80% of the national production, but current productivity level ranges from 0.5-1.0kg per tree per year -- way below the national industry target of 2kg/tree/year.
“This industry data gap is a major concern that the PCIC must address,” Banquerigo said. “Expanding cacao beans production and improving farm productivity levels are the primary challenges that must be address to bring the industry to the next level.”
With Sen. Villar and Banquerigo at the Congress opening were Department of Agriculture Undersecretary Evelyn Laviña, Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III, and PCIC chairperson Valente Turtur, among many other government officials.
Ralph Bean of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service and Haya Ramba of the Malaysian Cocoa Board were also invited as speakers in the Congress along with several international players who will share their industry development experiences and provide global market updates to the participants.
An exhibit featuring the products of local cocoa processors and suppliers is among the highlights of the National Cacao Congress. Department of Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol is expected to arrive Wednesday for the closing rites of the Congress. (LBG/PNA)
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