Luna, Apayao—Apayao Lone District Representative Eleanor C. Bulut-Begtang expressed support to the cacao production sector in the province during the formal opening of Agro-Industrial Trade and Tourism Fair held as part of the celebration of the province’s 28th Foundation Day on February 10, 2023.
Begtang, in her message, encouraged cacao farmers to continue their production and boost their marketing strategies to be at par with other cacao-producing provinces in the country like Davao.
The Congresswoman shared that with the consistent support of the Department of Agriculture (DA), the province can also improve and develop cacao-based products and compete with other producers saying “we are now starting to do the same, it’s just on how we can increase the volume of our produce.”
For his part, DA-CAR High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) Agriculture Technologist and Regional Focal Person for Cacao Rolando Renegado said that the cacao industry in the Cordillera is a promising emerging crop, “which is why we want to inform the public that there is cacao in our region.”
Renegado added that during the 2018 Cacao Summit Meeting, the Cordillera region was ranked number 1 among other entries nationwide in the chocolate making competition.
“Based on the findings of the Land Suitability Map of the Bureau of Soils and Water Management, municipalities of Conner, Pudtol, Santa Marcela, and Calanasan were identified as the areas highly suitable for cacao plantation,” Renegado further explained, “hence the challenge.”
Meanwhile, a press release issued by DA-CAR last week said that the Regional Agriculture Department is currently conducting an inventory to know the status of cacao trees for the department to have an estimate on how many tons can the region produce in one year, including a geo-tagging of cacao trees, as basis for the implementation of cacao-related programs and/or projects of the department with their available funds.
Comments