Cacao industry in South Cotabato will soon be a booming industry because of the 17.9-Million Pesos Enterprise Subproject of the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP).

Recently, the Regional Project Coordinating Office (RPCO) 12 and the Provincial Local Government Unit of South Cotabato turned over the 17.9-Million Pesos subproject.

This signifies the completion and the full implementation of the subproject wherein it consists of infrastructure, logistics and production support to farmers.

The subproject, which benefits 199 farmers and covers 150 hectares in the province, is headed by the Tibud Sa Katibwasan Multipurpose Cooperative (tibud SK MPC) in Polomolok, South Cotabato.

It is supported by five cluster members namely: Cacao-Cocoa Growers Association (Koronadal City); Glamang Small Coconut Farmers Association (Polomolok); TUBAGA Producers Cooperative (Tupi); Lambayong Diversified Farmers’ Cooperative (Tampakan); and, Palo 19 Farmers’ Association (Tampakan).

Junbard Mahinay, the general manager of Tibud SK MPC, said that this success is the fruit of their sacrifice during the tedious process of application, validation and approval of their enterprise.

“We would like to thank every stakeholder who contributed for this success… this is the result of our sacrifice and perseverance for more than three years,” he noted.

This hauling truck will be used to haul and transport cacao beans from their farm to market. (Photos by RPCO 12)

Mahinay said that because of their learning experience during the process, they are committed to ensure that this project will improve the productivity of farmers by producing quality cacao beans.

Director Arlan Mangelen noted in his message during the turn-over ceremony that the cacao farmers in South Cotabato is blessed to have already experience the prioritization of commodities pioneered by PRDP.

Cacao beans solar dryer (Photo by RPCO12)

“Right now, the DA is mainstreaming the prioritization of commodities per province, and in cacao industry in South Cotabato, you have already the edge because you availed PRDP… it has already been a practice,” the director added.

This PRDP enterprise entitled ‘Integrated Cacao Production, Processing, and Marketing of Fermented Cacao Beans’ aims to increase the income of identified farmers-members through sustainable cacao production, processing, and trading activities, ultimately operating into a sustainable and vibrant enterprise in the province.

With the interventions now fully given to the hands of the cacao cluster, the operation will improve farmer’s productivity by producing quality beans at one metric ton per hectare on the 1^st year of harvest and 20% increase gradually until reaching the maximum of five metric tons per hectare every year.

Mechanical dryer

Generoso Saboso Jr, a farmer-member of Tibud, attested to the increased harvest and income.

“Before, without the project we didn’t have the technology and the logistical support to increase our harvest, but after the PRDP interventions were given, our harvest and income are up,” Saboso disclosed.

He added that the technology they learned because of the trainings conducted by DA and PRDP and of the local government contributed to the soaring of their harvest and income.

“Our income also increased since the coop directly picks up our produce in our farms… we are no longer thinking of the transportation cost,” the farmer-member said.