Villar urges more extensive coconut-cacao intercropping

DAVAO CITY — The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) and cacao industry stakeholders should strengthen links to maximize the potential of existing coconut farms for cacao intercropping, Senator Cynthia A. Villar said.

Ms. Villar, chair of the Senate committee on agriculture and food, said the PCA could take the lead in pursuing partnerships using its allocation for intercropping programs on cacao as well as coffee.

“The PCA has a budget for that. In fact, one of our competitive advantages in cacao production is linked with coconut farming ( as) we have over two million hectares ( ha.) of coconut farms that are ideal for coconut-cacao intercropping,” Ms. Villar said in a speech delivered for her by a representative during the opening of this year’s Kakao KonekCacao Conference and Chocolate Exposition held on Dec. 5-6.

As of 2016, the country had 3.565 million ha. planted to coconut, based on Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data. In the same year, the PCA reported 143,902 ha. covered under its Accelerated Planting/Replanting Program.

“The PCA targets to increase the number of coconut trees by at least 10 million trees this year, 15 million trees in 2018, and 20 million trees every year starting 2019,” the United Coconut Associations of the Philippines, Inc. said in a statement.

For the cacao industry, the Department of Agriculture ( DA) has set a production goal of 100,000 metric tons ( MT) by 2022, which has been adjusted from the original target year 2020.

Total cacao output as of 2016, based on PSA data, was only 6,263 MT. Of this, 5,073 came from the Davao Region. The province of Davao del Sur had the biggest contribution at 1,702.54 MT, followed by Davao City with 1,606.80. The rest of the provinces produced the following: Davao del Norte, 945.31 MT; Davao Oriental, 507.26 MT; and Compostela Valley, 311.92 MT.

“We all need to work together for the cacao industry’s development under the national program and the industry road map to help cacao farmers and chocolate makers… We also need to involve other) government agencies ( like the PCA, ” Ms. Villar said.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources ( DENR), with its P8- billion Greening Program, is another agency that could be tapped by the cacao industry, she added.

“Cacao planting is part of the of the DENR Greening Program,” the senator said, suggesting that DENR allow farmers to plant high-value crops such as cacao in government-owned forests.

The Department of Tourism, meanwhile, can be tapped through its Farm Tourism campaign.

The multi- sectoral National Cacao Development Council, led by the DA, has representatives from the Department of Science and Technology, Department of Trade and Industry, and the National Economic and Development Authority.—