THE CITY Agriculturist Office (CAgrO) said they secured about 50,000 seedlings to be distributed to cacao farmers this year.
In a statement from the City Information Office, Fe Oguio, CAgrO Cacao focal person said the cacao seedlings came from the Department of Agriculture (DA) and will be given to five organizations within Davao City.
“We have reserved 50,000 seedlings from the DA to be given to five organizations in Davao City’s cacao production areas,” Oguio said.
Oguio said they aim to distribute the seedlings before the end of the second quarter, as they have already identified the organizations to be provided.
CAgrO mentioned that the city could only distribute 25,000 cacao seedlings, due to extreme heat challenges that affect cacao production and harvest.
Oguio stressed that the high demand for cacao seedlings at present was due to the increase in the price of cacao seeds in the market.
“The price of cacao went up threefold in the first quarter of 2024 when it was only at a maximum of Php 40 pesos [per kilogram]. From the third quarter until now, the price has risen thrice),” she said.
She also urged farmers to grow cacao and take good care of their plants for higher yields. She added that farmers could take advantage of the high-demand opportunity while the price of cacao is high.
“Based on the forecast, it will take two years before it will come back to the first quarter of 2024 price but definitely it will not go back to the previous [low] price based on demand, so we should take the opportunity to make an income out of cacao,” she said.
Currently, CAgrO reported that Davao City has a total of 7,933 cacao farmers and more than 5,000 hectares for cacao production.
