Cocoa Farming A New Investment

Why the Philippines?

Located near the equator, the Philippines offers perfect growing conditions for cocoa farming.

Few know this more than Grover Rosit who also sells cocoa seedlings, scions, pods and seeds to other farmers hoping to cash in on rising local and international demand for chocolate.

Demand for his nursery products was so overwhelming that he could no longer hold down his job as a postman and keep up with the ever increasing list of farmers wanting to buy his trees.

Cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) is a tree crop which is highly suitable or compatible under different production systems (monocrop, intercropping and agroforestry.) It is grown mainly for each beans, processed into cacao powder, cake and cacao butter. Largely used in the manufacture of chocolates, soaps, cosmetics, shampoo and other pharmaceutical products. Major Varieties of Cacao • Criollo: superior quality and relatively susceptible to pest and diseases • Forastero: high yielding variety with round pod and thick-walled which turn yellow when ripe and has a flat, violet seed: one group of forastero is Amellonado which is more genetically uniforn. • Trinitario: a hybrid between Criollo and Amellonado. • Brazillian hybrids: include Upper Amazon X Amenolado and Upper Amazon X Trinitario


Soil and climatic Requirements  Malaysian hybrids – Ideal pH is 6.5, but can tolerate to pH from 5.5 to 8.0  Type 4 climate is ideal – Grow in areas with temperatures ranging frm 19 degree C (highlands to 32 degree C (coastal areas).  Clear – Underbrush and remove all strumps.  Plow and harrow thoroughly  Coconut areas could be intercropped with cacao if coconut trees are already tall.

Establishment of road and drainage Network  In large farms, roads should be a major consideration and spaced 200 meters apart.  Drainage is important in farm as conveyance for excess water that could uproot cacao tree and wash away topsoil.  In sloping and hilly areas, drainage canals may not be necessary  Spacing distance and dimension of canals and slope gradient depends on the topography of the area.

 Soil Requirement for cacao Under Coconut  In a small farm or a plantation, different recommended high yielding varieties may be grown at the same period. Soil Condition Cocon

Under Monocropping System:  A 3m x 3m triangular spacing (1,241 plants/ha) is desirable to be grown. Planting System  1 ha, needs approx (100-135 coconut + 600 cacao trees).  TRIANGULAR (HEXAGONAL) (2.75m x 2.38m) ( 1ha. Needs 1,527 cacao + 1000 cassava hills). Planting of shade Crops In the initial years of cacao establishment, shade crops (‘nurse crops’) like coconut cacao monocropping system, shade trees are later pruned. Cacao Intercropping System 1. Cacao + cassava + corn under coconut. 2. Cacao+ banana + fruit trees under coconut. Pruning  Proper and timely pruning is required: 1. To train. Shape and achieve the economical tree height; have adequate air circulation and sunlight penetration within the crop; 2. To minimize incidences of pest and disease; and 3. To produce higher and quality yields.


Hope This Could Help Those who wanted to Venture on the Latest Goldrush in Farming