Technology diffusion
Once cacao beans have been picked and roasted, these are separated from their husks and then broken into pieces, which are called cocoa nibs
To help propel the production of cacao, and boost the use of its byproducts, technology diffusion should be tapped to further help the farmers and the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) in the country that have been both affected by the health pandemic.
Among the government agencies which have been active in disseminating science and technology for the farmers and MSME is the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) and Technology Application and Promotion Institute (TAPI) that are both agencies under the Department of Science and Technology (DoST).
One particular effort to boost the country’s cacao industry is the production of a mechanical cacao sheller, which is now known as Crio-ller, an innovative and affordable valueadding technology for the easy and efficient mass production of cocoa nibs.
Once cacao beans have been picked and roasted, these are separated from their husks and then broken into pieces, which are called cocoa nibs.
In turn, a product that is labelled cacao is the raw bean and is often packaged as vegan chocolate that has been minimally processed with no additives.
On the other hand, cocoa nibs are pieces of fermented, dried, roasted and crushed cacao beans. Once roasted, winnowed and cracked, the nibs are generally made into chocolate, which is as its purest — no added sugar, no milk, no flavorings and almost no processing.
And just like the chocolate, these are turned into cocoa nibs that have been known to have many different nutritional benefits.
Increased processing
With the use of a Crio-ller, cacao farmers or processors can now process about 800 kilograms (kg) of roasted beans in a day or about 620 kg of cocoa nibs.
Those farmers and entrepreneurs who could own this machine will be able to produce and sell value-added cocoa products, such as tableya and chocolates at a potential increased earning capacity of about 310 percent.
Developers said that the intellectual property (IP) application for the Crioller has already been filed in July 2019.
The team of developers had already fabricated the commercial model based on the improved aesthetic design made by the Design Center of the Philippines (DCP).
Initially, the price of the machine is approximately P210,000 and the team has already prepared the freedom to operate or FTO and technology valuation of the equipment.
The machine is part of the Technology Innovation for Commercialization or TECHNICOM Program which is funded by TAPI and monitored by PCAARRD.
TECHNICOM aims to fast track the transfer, utilization and commercialization of research and development (R&D) outputs in identified priority areas by providing support to precommercialization activities.
Following this development, at least three other TECHNICOM projects, in collaboration with the Central Luzon State University (CLSU), are being monitored by PCAARRD.
These include the cacao sheller, potato digger and carrot washer, where the DCP is finalizing the aesthetic features and benefits, like for instance, it is equipped with variable frequency drive that increases yield by 12 percent and is designed for high feed rate to save more time.
It likewise operates with a cyclone separator for a high purity nib output, and has been designed ergonomically, making it user-friendly, compact, portable and gender-sensitive, which has a hulling efficiency of 99.8 percent and an input capacity of 96.6 designs of these machines, where field testing is being done in partnership with farmer collaborators.
While the cacao by-products project, in collaboration with the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization of the Department of Agriculture, is also monitored by PCAARRD.
The project has already produced a total of five cacao by-products, including wine, vinegar, health drinks, briquettes and jam, the first three of which are now utility models.
PCAARRD said that the project has also partnered with the Cocoa Foundation of the Philippines Inc., KVT Farm, Rosit Cacao Farm, Albay Pili and Cacao Industry Association and Mayon Farmers Association.
Features and benefits
According technology generator and project leader Dr. Jeffrey A. Lavarias of the CLSU, the Crio-ller has many kg per hour and purity of 90 percent.
PCAARRD said the development of the Crio-ller is expected to help the targeted beneficiaries — cacao farmers, cooperatives, and of course, the private investors.
While the partner institutions for the development of the machine include the
Biao Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative, Agri-Component Machineries and Construction Corporation, DoST, TAPI and PCAARRD.
Aside from producing chocolate, cacao is now often used in the processing of various food items, beverages, cosmetics and even pharmaceutical products.
For last year alone, the worldwide demand for cocoa has been estimated to have reached between 4.7 million and five million metric tons (MT).
Albeit the health pandemic, the global shortage of cocoa have been predicted to be about one million metric tons for the same year.
In the Philippines alone, the local consumption was estimated at 50,000 MT every year, while the local supply is only around 10,000 MT.
In order to avoid the impending deficit, the country is compelled to produce at least 100,000 MT of fermented beans for the export and domestic markets.
For its part, PCAARRD has been very supportive in helping the farmers to boost the country’s production of cocoa through its Farms and Industry Encounters through the Science and Technology (S&T) Agenda or FIESTA, which provides technology, information and knowledge on cacao production.
The Cacao FIESTA, which is under PCAARRD’s Cacao Industry Strategic S&T Plan or ISP, also aims to inspire businesses that use its by-products, such as cacao fermented beans and cacao tablea, for the interest of the MSME in the country.