DA finds ‘gold’ in Aklan cacao farmer

KALIBO, Aklan – The Department of Agriculture (DA) said it found “gold” from a cacao farmer in the hinterlands of Libacao, Aklan.

Alexys Apolonio, senior provincial agriculturist of the Office of the Provincial Agriculture said regional DA officials recently discovered a high grade Criollo cacao variety.

“The farmer (name undisclosed) was attending a two-day seminar on cacao production initiated by the DA. The DA officials asked the cacao farmers to bring a sample of their cacao plantation the next day and there they discovered the presence of Criollo,” Apolonio said.

“The Criollo cacao variety surprised the local government of Libacao. For several years, Libacao mayor Charito Navarosa has been looking into the different provinces in the country hoping to find the said variety and plant it in the said town,” Apolonio said.

The farmer hailed from Barangay Pinonoy, Libacao, told DA officials that the said plant was there for several years, saying he did not know that his cacao variety is a premium plant.

“Based on what I know, the farmer has only five trees of such variety in his backyard. The DA officials in the region were committed to make it as a mother plant for production. We hope to propagate such variety in the province,” Apolonio said.

Criollo cacao is used in the Philippines to make chocolate bars called tablea and in a traditional hot chocolate drink (tsokolate).

It can also be processed into cocoa nibs or powder.

Criollo cacao is the preferred variety in making sticky rice rolls or suman.

Apolonio said the discovery was timely since a small entrepreneur in Libacao started its production of cacao-made chocolates.

The entrepreneur uses ordinary cacao varieties mostly harvested from the backyard.

“The entrepreneur has coordinated with the Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Trade and Industry for his chocolate cacao business. It has a large potential,” Apolonio said.

The investor buys P5 per cacao fruit up to P90 per kilo of fermented cacao seeds all over the province to be used for his chocolate business,” added Apolonio./PN