Capt. Du Davao's new choco player
AS Davao City continues towards its goal of being the cacao and chocolate capital of the Philippines, more and more businessmen had seen the potential of a chocolate business and had since ventured in it. However, other businessmen do not only venture on this business on their own but they also include their family in the whole process.
One of the few family chocolate businesses in Davao City is the Capt. Du’s Cacao Manufacturing Company managed by the Dubouzet family. Capt. Alexander Dubouzet is a seafarer by profession. In 2010, he invested his hard-earned money into a 10-hectare agricultural land in New Carmen, Tugbok District which they further developed into a coconut, cacao, and banana plantation with the assistance of the Department of Agriculture. Wanting to further enhance their knowledge of agriculture, Dubouzet and his wife Judith Camello Dubouzet attended Cacao Doctors Training organized by the Cacao Industry Development Association for Mindanao (Cidami). From then on, they have learned to process their cacao beans into value-adding products such as tablea. They first started producing tablea and have now expanded to productions of artisanal dark chocolates as well.
Their products now include Pure Tablea (with a taste of Mayan) priced at P800 per kilogram. This can also be bought for P55 for every 65-gram pack. Their 25-gram 65 percent Dark Chocolate is at P45 only while the 25-gram 72 percent Dark Chocolate is sold at P50.
They also have other varieties such as the Capt. Du’s Berry Nut, which is a 65 percent Dark Chocolate with nuts and berries inside. This is sold at P40. Their Capt. Du’s Cacao Crunch, on the other hand, is sold at P80. Not only do they produce chocolates, they also have available cacao vinegar which is sold for P40 per 500mL.
“There is tough competition in the cacao and chocolate market right now given the fast changing trends and innovations. Our edge is that we get our cacao beans from our own farm and the chocolates are personally manufactured by the family members particularly Capt. Du, all the processes from the farm to the market are personally attended to by the family members thus we can attest to its quality, and our prices are much affordable,” Judith said.
She added they have faced a lot of challenges over the years of operation. Some of this includes natural challenges such as climate change which would cause pests and diseases in the cacao plants. She also mentioned intensive labor and lack of committed laborers in the farm and efficient manpower in the chocolate processing as some of the challenges they face. Sometimes they would also find difficulties in the form of the technology or equipment to use, limited market, the competitors, and the pricing. However, in the midst of all these challenges, Capt. Du’s remains to perform and produce good chocolates, tablea, and other cacao by-product.
The cacao and chocolate-making industry may currently be growing in Davao City and a lot are trying to penetrate this business. However, Capt. Du proves that things are better done when the entire family is involved and hands-on. Capt. Du’s Cacao Manufacturing Company had been registered under their youngest son, Al James Dubouzet, who now manages the marketing and the promotions aspect of the business.
“We look forward to a sustainable and growing cacao industry which will not be focused only on profitability but also a life-giving industry which will preserve our farm, thus the environment, and be able to uplift the lives of our partners and helpers,” Judith said when asked how they envision Capt. Du’s to be in the next years.
She also added that they aim to maximize the existing resources in their farm such as the cacao pods which can actually be used as fertilizer with the right and complete technology and skills. With this, she said they are helping nurture a “zero-waste” industry.
“There are so many uses of the cacao and since we do intercropping in the farm, there is so much to learn in terms of processing and food manufacture. We also look forward to farm tourism in the future given sufficient funds and technology,” she said.
Capt. Du can be reached through their Facebook page or through mobile number 0995-7710051.