Bullish on cacao council
THE regional office of the Department of Agriculture (DA 11) is looking forward to a stronger partnership with the region’s cacao stakeholders in the next two years.
This came after the Cacao Industry Council of Southern Mindanao (Cicsmin) has elected new set of officers during the recent Regional Cacao Industry Promotion and Investment Forum held in Davao City.
The Cicsmin is composed of private and government stakeholders, which aims to promote dynamic and inclusive growth of the region’s cacao industry.
Elected officers are: Charita Puentespina, chair; Dan Mitcha, vice chair; DA 11 director Ricardo M. O¤ate, vice chair for government sector, and Edwin Banquerigo of Department of Trade and Industry in Region 11 as the secretariat.
Puentespina is known for the moniker of “Madre de Cacao of the Philippines” for her significant contributions to the industry particularly in putting the Davao cacao in the world map through its award-winning Malagos chocolate products.
Malagos Chocolates was internationally acclaimed in 2015 when it won a bronze award from the Academy of Chocolate Awards for the same product, Malagos Premium 100% Unsweetened Chocolate, under the Best Unflavoured Drinking Chocolate category in London.
Also, in October 2015, Malagos 65% Dark Chocolate won a silver award at the 2015 International Chocolate Awards’ World Drinking Chocolate Competition in the Dark Drinking Chocolate Category, specifically drinks made with milk in Germany.
Further, in 2016, Academy of Chocolates lauds Malagos Chocolate’s 100 percent unsweetened chocolate was and awarded it the silver award under the Drinking Chocolate category held in London, UK.
Puentespina in her acceptance speech as the new council chair urged fellow cacao growers to take advantage of the huge opportunities at hand particularly the growing global demand for chocolate quality cacao seeds.
She said, the local industry can meet the growing demands of the global market by expanding production areas “and we need to pant now.”
“Once you proved yourself that you can walk your talk, our government agencies will bring you to international trade shows. There you will get a chance to promote your products, but you have to stand on what you talk. We can do it together, if we share and pool our efforts” Puentespina stressed.
Melani Provido, DA high-value crops coordinator said the leadership of Puentespina will further boost cacao industry. “She had been in the industry for a long time already and adept with cacao value chain from production, processing, to exporting fine chocolates.
“Ms. Puentespina has made Davao fine chocolates competitive and famous in the global market. That’s how she started to professionalize cacao farming in the country,” Provido said.
She said DA is equally grateful for the leadership of the council’s outgoing chair Val Turtur who has introduced various initiatives that paved the way for a wider market of Davao cacao.
“The regional cacao industry should mobilize stakeholders for a concerted industry-wide efforts, thus all sectors in the industry should collaborate,” Provido said.
“If we are talking of investment, we are talking of producing quality cacao beans. We must train our farmers not just to increase production but also improve the quality of beans and eventually be known as producer of fine chocolate,” she said.