BAGUIO CITY – In line with the incoming implementation of School-on-Air (SoA) on Cacao Production in Benguet, the Department of Agriculture-Cordillera Administrative Region (DA-CAR) facilitated a module writeshop on cacao production on April 24-26, 2024 in Guisad, Baguio City.
As the region is just starting to develop its cacao industry, the objective of the writeshop is to develop a comprehensive module for the SoA course on cacao production to be used as a reference for the SoA broadcaster while discussing the topics with the partner radio station. The module will also serve as a reference material for cacao production trainings.
The activity covered a series of interactive discussions, research, writing, output presentation and critiquing. The module writeshop was participated in by cacao doctors and experts from the Cacao Growers and Processors of Benguet Baguio Federation (CGPBBF), Office of the Provincial Agriculturist of Benguet and Ifugao, private cacao grower and processor, Bureau of Plant Industry – Baguio National Crop Research, Development and Production Support Center and DA-CAR.
Meanwhile, the proposed course outline of the module includes introductions to cacao, including its varieties, nutritional and medical values, and factors to consider when growing cacao; cacao’s pre-production management such as seed selection, nursery establishment, and field planting.
The module will also cover pests and diseases, recommended technologies, and care and maintenance. Harvest, post-harvest handling, and processing and marketing of cacao will also be included.
Based on the region’s cacao situationer reported by DA-CAR Regional Cacao Focal Person Rolando Renegado, CAR contributes 0.4% of the country’s total cacao-bearing trees, while 0.3% is being contributed in production itself.
With this, the region’s goal for the period of 2023-2025 is to increase the cacao production to 63.27 MT from 32.08 MT (2020) not only for the domestic markets but as well to export quality fermented beans by expanding cacao farm by a total of 104 hectares.
DA-CAR High Value Crops Development Program Coordination Joan Bacbac is hoping to have more enrollees for the incoming SoA on Cacao. “We are counting on your outputs for the next three days of the writeshop, so that we will be able to produce a comprehensive module for cacao. We will not be starting on a zero level of technologies because we already have the Cordillera technology that we prepared with the Department of Science and Technology that is shared under the CGPBBF and DA-CAR. This will be shared with as many participants as we can who need these technologies and for them to adopt these technologies,” she said.
In takeaways, Benjamin Lunag of Ifugao Office of the Provincial Agriculturist expressed his gratitude to the participants of the cacao module writeshop as everyone has partaken in the effort of developing and improving the cacao industry in the region.
Likewise, Eva Ritchelle Padua of CGPBBF said that they have been aiming for the cacao industry to thrive in the region, and expressed her gratitude to DA-CAR for its initiative through the SoA on Cacao that will help improve the cacao industry in the region. By Cy-j E. Waytan
