GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- The Department of Agriculture (DA) has released an initial PHP3.77 million to facilitate the implementation of an integrated cacao production and marketing project in South Cotabato province under the World Bank-supported Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP).
Zaldy Boloron, regional technical director for operations of DA 12 (Soccsksargen), said Wednesday the funds consisted of the initial tranche of the approved PHP17.9-million grant for the Integrated Cacao Production, Processing and Marketing of Fermented Cacao Project.
Boloron said it would be used for the acquisition of the needed equipment and other inputs for the rollout of the venture.
The official said funding was sourced from loan proceeds with the World Bank worth PHP2,226,086.30 and the national and local government counterparts of PHP755,362.10 each under a 60-20-20 scheme.
DA's National Project Coordination Office issued a "No Objection Letter" last year for the implementation of the sub-project under the PRDP's rural enterprise component.
The provincial government signed an implementation management agreement with DA 12 to facilitate the release of the grants.
Justina Navarrete, chief of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist, said the project's rollout would be spearheaded by its main proponent Tibud sa Katibawasan Multi-Purpose Cooperative (Tibud SKMPC) based in Polomolok town.
She said the sub-project aims to increase farmers’ productivity and income by producing cacao beans, and expand the province’s cacao production.
Six cooperatives in the province's upper and lower valley areas would implement the venture in phases, she said.
The upper valley cluster is led by the Cacao Coffee Growers Association, with the Lambayong Diversified Farmers Cooperative and Palo 19 Farmers Association as members.
Tibud SKMPC will lead the implementation in the lower valley area, with the Glamang Small Coconut Farmers Association and Tupi Banana Growers Association as members.
The fermented cacao venture is the third rural enterprise project approved by the PRDP in the province.
The ongoing sub-projects are the PHP39.3 million cassava production and marketing venture in Polomolok and the PHP17.9 million coffee bean production and marketing enterprise in Tupi town. (PNA)
