Since 2016, DA-PRDP has been instrumental in providing supplemental support to cacao farmers and associations in the Davao Region.

In the recently conducted Cacao Industry Mindanao Consultative Congress, Davao Regional Cacao Industry Council (DRCIC) Chair Dante Muyco said that one of the council’s goals was to produce 40,000 metric tons (MT) per annum of dried fermented cacao beans with a productivity level of two kilograms per tree per year by the end of 2027.

DA-PRDD continues its commitment to support and contribute to the increase of cacao production in the region through its enterprise development component.

To date, a total of 12 subprojects are included in DA-PRDP’s portfolio for Region 11 amounting to P162 million. Out of these 12 subprojects, seven (7) have already been completed and turned over with a total cost of P86 million, and two (2) subprojects with above 80% completion worth P23.2 million are currently on-going. Meanwhile, there are three (3) new subprojects under the Second Additional Financing and European Co-financing (AF2-EU) grant worth P52.3 million.

The investments for these subprojects are distributed across the provinces in Region 11 with the aim of supporting the beneficiaries’ proposed subprojects such as enhancement of tablea processing and marketing enterprise, cacao production and beans marketing enterprise, chocolate processing enterprise, tablea processing and marketing enterprise, cacao production and marketing of dry-fermented beans enterprise subprojects.

Davao City ranks first in terms of total amount of investments for cacao with four (4) subprojects worth P85.7 million followed by Davao del Norte with two (2) subprojects worth P21 million, Davao del Sur with two (2) subprojects worth P19.7 million, Davao Oriental with one (1) subproject worth P14.5 million, Davao de Oro with two subprojects (2) worth P10.2 million, and Davao Occidental with one (1) subproject worth P10.2 million

Davao City was also declared as Chocolate Capital and Davao Region as Cacao Capital of the Philippines signed into by President Rodrigo R. Duterte on May 27, 2021.

According to Kiblawan Multipurpose Cooperative Chairman of Board of Director Hesus B. Heliane there has been a big improvement to their operations after they received the solar dryer and fermenting facilities as part of the “Dried Fermented Cacao Beans Processing and Marketing” enterprise from DA-PRDP.

“There is really an improvement in price. When we started selling to Auro, our institutional buyer, several sacks of beans were rejected because they failed to meet their standards,” said Heliane. “With the new facilities we received, we were able to produce tons of beans which passed. In fact, Auro is the one coming here to pick up the dried fermented beans.”

The support of the Provincial, Municipal, and City agriculture has been instrumental to the success of the subprojects. To date, DA-PRDP is looking for more farmers’ association and cooperatives to apply for support from the Project under the AF2-EU fund.

DA-PRDP is also currently preparing for the National Cacao Congress and Exhibitions on Nov 24-25, 2022  at SMX Convention Center, Davao City where they will be featuring their subproject beneficiaries from six regions in Mindanao