GENERAL SANTOS CITY — A group of farmers’ cooperatives in South Cotabato is targeting to develop this year a combined 150 hectares of cacao plantations, a project supported by the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP).
Junbard Mahinay, general manager of project lead Tibud sa Katibawasan Multi-Purpose Cooperative (SKMPC), said Monday the establishment of the cacao plantations are ongoing in Koronadal City and three other municipalities.
Mahinay said they already enlisted some 107 farmers for the initiative, which is part of a PHP17.9-million Integrated Cacao Production, Processing and Marketing of Fermented Cacao Project.
The project was approved early this year by the PRDP, which is supported by the World Bank, under the Investment for Rural Enterprises for Agricultural, Livestock and Fisheries Productivity, or I-REAP component.
Aside from Tibud SKMPC, which is based in Polomolok town, the other proponents are the Cacao Cocoa Growers Association in Koronadal City; Lambayong Diversified Farmers Association and Palo 19 Farmers Association in Tampakan; Glamang Small Coconut Farmers Organization in Polomolok; and TUBAGA Producers Cooperative in Tupi.
Mahinay said they are targeting to involve at least 199 farmers in the development of the cacao plantations.
“But we might exceed that number as we’re expecting more support from our local farmers,” he added.
Based on the project’s approved business plan, the planned cacao plantations are projected to produce some 329.14 metric tons of dried fermented beans annually.
Aside from the production of cacao beans, the group will venture into trading and marketing and offer services for hauling, fermentation and drying.
Last week, the project proponents received six units each of top-down motorcycles and knapsack sprayers, as well as a total of 48,750 cacao seedlings.
The six cooperatives received last April an initial grant of PHP3.77 million to facilitate the rollout of the project.
The funds, which represent the first tranche of the approved grant, were sourced from the loan proceeds from the World Bank worth PHP2,226,086.30 and the national and local government counterparts of PHP755,362.10 each under a 60-20-20 scheme.
The cacao project is the fourth farm enterprise approved by the PRDP in the province in the last three years. The other projects are the PHP39.3 million cassava production and marketing venture in Polomolok, PHP17.9 million coffee bean production and marketing enterprise in Tupi town and the PHP34.5 million dairy production, processing and marketing project in Banga and Polomolok. (PNA)
