North Cot Coop receives truck from DA-PRDP

Cotabato-A six-tonner closed van was officially turned over to the Household Multipurpose Cooperative in Antipas, Cotabato. 

The turnover of the P3.3 million worth  van is part of the Dried Cacao Beans and Production Marketing enterprise  subproject under the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP). 

The entire subproject package is worth P15 million which, aside from the closed van, includes one (1) unit of hauling truck, warehouse, mechanical and solar dryer, wet cacao beans working capital, and other material inputs for the warehouse.

This subproject covers around 345 hectares of existing productive cacao area with 354 farmer beneficiaries comprising 244 Indigenous Peoples (IPs) and 110 non-IP households. These input provisions and technology enhancements aimed to engage farmers in wet cacao beans bulk buying where at least 85% of the farmer members’ cacao bean production will be produced as dried fermented cacao. 

Part of the Proponent Group’s (PG) business plan is to undergo fermentation and marketing with institutional buyers particularly Kennemer, where 75% of the produced dried fermented beans will be delivered to Kennemer while the remaining 25% will be sold at the discretion of the PG.

To support its operations, it will establish and strengthen linkages with wholesalers and processors in enhancing marketing support, and market linkages. This enterprise is foreseen to enhance productivity of cacao farms of farmer-beneficiaries through technical and input support, acquire equipment and facilities to improve product quality and enhance marketing capacity of the PG. 

The subproject’s specific objectives include increasing farmers’ annual  net income from  Php130,380 per hectare to Php147,431.40 or an increase of  13% in year 1 of its operation; increasing the current production area from the existing 354 has. at year 1  to  704 has. in year 10 or  at least 35 has. per year (9.89%) or a total of additional 350 has.; consolidating production of quality dried fermented  cacao beans from 700 metric ton (MT) initial production volume to 778MT or at least 11% after one year of implementation and an increase of 70MT per year until the tenth year; and increasing job opportunities  from 37 to 44 in year 1 of its operation or an increase of 19% in year one.

The Proponent Group’s current buyer for dried cacao beans is Kennemer Foods International while potential buyers are Tachibana International and RFC Foods. (Joy M. Montecalvo | PSO Min)