Facilitating the growth of the cacao industry
Published: Oct 16, 2018 Reading time: 1 minute
Facilitating the growth of the cacao industry lies at the heart of People in need’s (PIN) activities in Eastern Samar. In particular, supporting cacao planting is part of PIN’s strategy to support livelihood recovery of people affected by typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) and to ensure sustainable incomes for local farmers.
In our effort to get more farmers planting cacao, PIN has trained yet another batch of farmers. Arriving to Iberan, Salcedo, 40 farmers took part in a two-day training session led by coaches from Seed Core Enterprises.
Farmers learned about important aspects of cacao growing, such as laying out cacao plants and applying a correct planting distance, as well as placing seedlings in the ground.
Facilitating the growth of the cacao industry
Further skills taught during the sessions included de-rooting (the removal of curled roots), fronding (ensuring shade by placing leaves and other plants nearby), soil leveling (for planting on sloping areas), as well as pruning and side-grafting of mature cacao trees. All farmers spent some time practicing the taught skills by handling and planting seedlings at the nursery.
The participants expressed satisfaction with the training, particularly due to its hands-on nature, which allowed farmers to apply skills learned in practice. All of the participating farmers will be also eligible to receive cacao seedlings from PIN.