Text and Photos by Jims Vincent T. Capuno
In 1670, Spanish mariner Pedro Bravo de Lagunas planted the first cacao in San Jose , Batangas. After that, cacao growing flourished in various parts of the country – until pod rot wiped out plantations of it.
In the 1950’s, the imposition of Import Control Law resulted in efforts to revive the industry by inter-governmental agencies and by private sector for self-sufficiency and export. By the time the industry was blooming, pod borer infestation surfaced. Control of the disease was quite expensive. As a result, established plantations were again wiped out; others were abandoned.
This was particularly in Mindanao , where most of the cacao crops were grown. In 1990, about 18,388 hectares were planted to cacao, with most of the crops growing in Davao , Zamboanga peninsula, Western Visayas, North Mindanao , Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, and Caraga, according to the Department of Agriculture. By 2006, the area declined to less than 10,000 hectares. During this period, production fell from 9,900 tons to about 5,400 tons, with two-thirds of the production coming from Davao region alone.
Today, cacao is staging a comeback. Thanks to the demand of cocoa – the primary product of cacao – here and abroad. The Philippines imports about 30,000 tons cocoa products (beans, powder, butter, and liquor) are imported every year. The reason for this importation: Filipino farmers can only produce about 6,000 tons of cocoa every year.
“The problem of the market is there’s not enough beans,” deplores Dr. Nicolas K. Richards, the chief of party of Agricultural Cooperative Development International and Volunteers in Overseas Cooperative Assistance (ACDI/VOCA), an economic development organization that specializes in food security, agribusiness, community development, financial services, and enterprise development.
“This is really a fantastic situation,” Richards continues. “It’s getting worse and worse. The world needs more and more (cocoa) beans. Productions (in the Philippines ) can’t keep up with (increasing) demand.”
Recent studies have shown the world market needs 3.6 million tons of cocoa every year. The demand is growing annually by 90,000 tons. Currently, most of the productions come from Africa (which supplies 68 percent of the global production). South America provides 14 percent of the total production; the Philippines manages to contribute a measly 0.16 percent.
The country’s contribution is lamentable since the Philippines is ideal for cacao growing. Mindanao , for instance, is best for cacao production – except those areas 1,400 meters above sea level like the higher places in Bukidnon.
Mindanao does not have typhoons and has good rainfall and good soil, Richards explains on why he singled out the country’s second largest island. “But cacao would grow anywhere in the Philippines ,” he adds. (For trivia fans: The Philippines was the first in Asia to plant cacao and prepare chocolate drinks from cocoa beans.)
By 2020, Richards believes the Philippines can produce 100,000 tons of cocoa. This means that in the next ten years, some 500 million more cacao trees are growing in about 150,000 to 200,000 hectares of land.
“Cacao is highly suitable to intercropping and mixed farming systems, and can add more than US$1,500 per hectare of income from 500 mature trees per year,” Richards says. “It is a proven crop in the Philippines , ready for resurrection.”
In Davao City , former councilor Leo Avila is encouraging farmers and entrepreneurs to plant cacao. “I urge farmers and agribusiness sectors to invest in cacao because it’s a wonderful opportunity,” says Avila , now the chief of the city agriculture office. “It’s a suitable crop in diversifying the existing tree crops and in making more money. And there is already a ready market.”
Cacao is included in the so-called CoCoPal (cocoa, coconut, and the palayamanan) program of ACDI/VOCA. “We are working on projects to help farmers to look at low cost inputs to help them get better return. We help in aspects like pest and disease control, organic fertilizers, and many others,” Richards says.
Davao farmers have a good market for their crop: Mars, Inc., the world’s largest confectioner, which manufactures popular chocolate brands like M&M, Mars, Twix and Snickers, among others.
In 1988, Mars Inc. asked Charita Puentespina to act as a consolidator for the company. “We consolidate the cacao beans from individual farmers and from cooperatives, ferment and dry them in the sun,” says Puentespina, who is known as the lady who successfully propagate the waling-waling orchid.
According to Puenstepina, Mars, Inc. will need up to 100 metric tons of cocoa annually in the next five years. “Mars has a very big demand and no single plantation can meet the demand at the moment, hence the cacao products are consolidated,” said Puentespina, whose 17 hectares of her farm is planted to cacao.
Cacao was first cultivated by the Mayas around the 7th century A.D. They carried the seed north from the tropical Amazon forests to what is now Mexico . In the 16th century, the Spanish planted cacao across South America, into Central America, and onto the Caribbean Islands . In the 17th century, the Dutch transported the cacao to other places around the globe like Java, Sumatra , Sri Lanka , New Guinea , and the Philippines .
Cacao is highly prized because of its beans which are processed into cocoa products such as butter, powder, paste/liquor and chocolate confectionery. In the Philippines , most of the beans produced by small holders are mostly made into tablea, a native chocolate confection.
Cocoa powder and cocoa butter are widely used in food products; cocoa butter is also used as a base for moisturizers, cosmetics, and suppositories. Cocoa seed and cocoa seed coat are used to treat intestinal conditions; diarrhea; liver, bladder and renal disease; diabetes; and others.
Studies have shown that cacao contains 0.5% to 2.7% theobromine, 0.25% caffeine, and other methylxanthine alkaloids. Cocoa contains the antioxidant catechin. Theobromine has weaker stimulant effects than caffeine but is a more potent diuretic, cardiovascular stimulant, and coronary dilator.
There are three varieties of cacao grown in the country: Criollo, Forastero, and Trinitario.
The Spaniards brought Criollo to the Philippines in the 18th century. It is very susceptible to most pests and diseases of cacao. However, it is the most sought-after and expensive variety of cacao because of its quality and rarity. The variety, which can be found only in Ecuador and the Philippines , is also known as “porcelana cacao” because of its seed’s white color. When provided the proper attention and care, it can yield an average of 1.5 to two kilograms per tree under Davao conditions.
Forastero was introduced to the country in the early 1990s by the Americans. This variety is known for its sturdiness and wide adaptation. It shows varying degrees of reactions to the pests and diseases of cacao, ranging from highly susceptible to resistant.
Trinitario reportedly comes from Trinidad , credited for hybridization between Criollo and Forastero plants. Many Trinitario selections produce high quality beans (from the Criollo parents) and possess the resistance and vigor of the Forastero parent.
