CACAO INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION OF MINDANAO, Inc.

CIDAMI TEAM VISIT CACAO FARMERS IN ZAMBOANGA PENINSULA AND LAMITAN BASILAN CIDAMi also gathered baseline data and conducted interviews to nursery operators on their cacao production e.g. elevation, way points, type of land ownership, areas (ha)( sq.m) planted, technology provided, cultural practices, number of trees, number of bearing trees, number of non- bearing tress, trees condition, number of kilograms, wet beans yield, number of kilogram dried beans yield, post-harvest practices and their market outlet. During the first day the team visited several cacao nurseries and promotion areas in Zamboanga del Norte 1 (one) in Provincial Agricultural Industrial Center (PAIC), 1 (one) in Sta.Felomina, Dipolog City, 1 (one) in Rizal Dapitan City including a nursery at South Mapang, Zamboanga del Norte. PAIC (Provincial Agricultural Industrial Center) was located at Upper Irasan Roxas, Dipolog, with an area of approximately 1ha. for nursery and cacao production area and it was managed by Mr. Florian O. Abaja an Agriculturist II. It was observed that cacao nurseries and cacao production areas visited at Zamboanga del Norte do not implement good nursery management cacao seedlings have shown symptoms of Vascular Straek Dieback (VSD) especially in South Mapang, Zamboanga del Norte. Lack of cacao nursery materials improper net positioning and potting media were also observed in cacao nurseries. At PAIC, Upper Irasan, Roxas, yellowing of leaves, stunted growth and burned leaves were also observed in nursery seedlings and budwood gardens which maybe the effect of salinity because the areas were located at an estimated of 100 meters away from the seashore. On the second day, the team attended workshop and orientation of nursery operators which was conducted by ACDI/VOCA at PAIC, Upper Irasan Roxas ZAmboanga del Norte.

AMYA House Tulip Drive corner Quimpo Boulevard Ecoland, Davao City 8000

Tel no. (082) 321-5589 Email: cidami.center@gmail.com

The workshop was attended by twenty three (23) nursery operators where the team conducted baseline interview on selected participating farmers. Fifteen (15) farmers were interviewed most of them has a nursery with 5000 seedling capacity. Most of the farmers produce an average of 1000 seedlings per month with a price of 30 pesos per seedlings. The same activity was also conducted by ACDI/VOCA in Sta. Clara Naga, Zamboanga Sibugay on March 6, 2013. Twenty three (23) farmers have attended the activity and sixteen (16) participating farmers were interviewed. Most of the farmers have nursery with a capacity of 5000 seedlings. On March 7, 2013 workshop and orientation on nursery operators was also conducted by ACDI/VOCA at Bonguiao, Zamboanga City. The said activity was also attended by thirteen (13) farmers where ten (10) participating farmers also interviewed. Most of the interviewed farmers have a nursery with a capacity of 5000 seedlings. Most of the farmers produce 500-1000 seedlings per month sold at 18 pesos per seedlings. Most of the problems encountered by the farmers were lack of financing especially in nursery establishment. Several nursery and farm visits were also conducted by CIDAMi team and ACDI/VOCA(ADF) Agriculturist Development Facilitator. The first visit was conducted at Brgy. Lamisahan, Zamaboanga City, nursery owned by Mr. Gerardo Carpio. This four month old nursery was initially implemented by Landcare and presently assisted by ACDI/VOCA. According to Mr. Carpio ACDI/ VOCA gave him seedlings for his budwood garden, as well as farm tools and implements like net seedling bags and pesticides. His nursery produces approximately 5500 cacao seedlings every 6 months with top soil as his potting media. Mr. Carpios cacao seedlings were observed to be stunted that shows lack of nutrients because he doesnt employ any fertilizer or pesticides application and also regular watering of the seedlings was not implemented. He doesnt practice any proper spacing on the seedlings and he doesnt have a budwood garden himself.

AMYA House Tulip Drive corner Quimpo Boulevard Ecoland, Davao City 8000

Tel no. (082) 321-5589 Email: cidami.center@gmail.com

The team also visited a nursery owned by Josephine Galvez at Brgy. Sangali, Zamboanga City. This nursery was also initially implemented by Landcare and presently assisted by ACDI/VOCA. On its 1 year operation it produces approximately 4500 seedlings in every 6 month with rice hull, top soil and chicken dung as potting substrate, with organic foliar fertilizer, insecticide and Fungicide applications. The owner do not practice spacing between his seedling bags and for the meantime. Basilan was their source of scion for the meantime because the nurserys 6 months old budwood garden with 133 trees is not matured enough to produce scion/budstick. On overall assessment the cacao seedlings on Mrs. Galvezs nursery exhibited good growth performance but the seedlings were overgrown because of the lack of skills on grafting. The team also visited a nursery at Sitio Mangga, Barangay Bonguaio Zamboanga City owned by Mrs. Marilyn Aliviar and Aleli Alfonso, the nurseries were also initially implemented by Landcare and presently assisted by ACDI/VOCA. These 1 year old nursey owned by Mrs. Aliviar had a capacity of 5000 seedlings and a three (3) month old budwood garden with 100 budwood trees from ACDI/VOCA. Scions for their nursery were coming from Basilan, since a three (3) month old budwood garden is not matured enough to produce scions. Lastly, on March 9, 2013, we have visited a nursery and cacao production area owned by LARBECO (Lamitan Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative) at Basilan). LARBECO was managed Mr. Jose Bernadas and initially assisted by ACDI/VOCA. Cacao production area of LARBECO has a high capacity and is very conducive for growing cacao trees but was observed to be lack of proper management. It has its own post-harvest facilities like fermentary box for five(5) days fermentation process. They were also equipped with a mechanical dyer and a bean sorter and the cacao beans that they produced stored on ordinary sacks.

AMYA House Tulip Drive corner Quimpo Boulevard Ecoland, Davao City 8000

Tel no. (082) 321-5589 Email: cidami.center@gmail.com

LARBECO have rehabilitated 35 years old cacao trees but Mr. Jose Bernadas said that instead of rehabilitating they are planning to cut down the old trees and replant new ones because he believe that old trees cannot produce more fruits compare to new plants. However, their main problem is that cacao production was very laborious and also they are lack of financing he added. As evidence the cacao trees in LARBECO was not applied with fertilizer and was not pruned for a year. As observed their budwood garden was also infected with Vascular Streak Dieback (VSD). Prior to farm visits the CIDAMi team and ACDI/VOCA ADF conducted courtesy call in the provincial and Municipal Agriculture Offices of Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay, and Zamboanga City with a purpose of gathering baseline data on their cocoa nurseries and production areas but there was no available data so we have conducted nursery and farm visits and interviews on selected areas and farmer cooperators. Various recommendations were given by the team to address identified farmers problem during the conduct of farm visits and interviews.

AMYA House Tulip Drive corner Quimpo Boulevard Ecoland, Davao City 8000

Tel no. (082) 321-5589 Email: cidami.center@gmail.com