Bohol targets 1M cacao trees through 

10-year public-private partnership

By Elvira C. Bongosia 

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PIA) — Bohol is targeting to plant 1 million cacao trees over the next 10 years through a public-private partnership scheme between a chocolate farm and the local government unit of Catigbian (LGU Catigbian).

Catigbian Mayor Benjie Oliva said his administration will develop the town’s cacao industry in partnership with the Bohol Chocolate Farm, with a plan to establish plantations on a 200-hectare property acquired by the local government.

He spoke at the World Chocolate Day celebration last week hosted by the farm in Barangay Canmano, Sagbayan town.

“We are committed to supporting the planting of 200 hectares of cacao in Catigbian by utilizing available idle and public lands for long-term agricultural productivity and livelihood development. This is part of our vision to create more opportunities for our farmers and communities through cacao,” Oliva said.

The project aims to convert idle land into cacao farms, giving farmers additional income and a ready market for their harvest through Bohol Chocolate Farm’s partner-grower program.

Sagbayan Mayor Asuncion Ybañez said the town backs the initiative.

“Sagbayan strongly supports this initiative as the home of Bohol Chocolate Farm. We believe cacao farming can strengthen agri-tourism, community-based enterprise, and local livelihood while helping position Bohol as a future origin of real chocolate,” Ybañez said.

Bohol cacao production

Bohol Chocolate Farm, the first cacao nursery in Bohol accredited by the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Plant Industry, said it will provide farmers with planting materials, technical assistance, and guidance on cacao production.

The farm also encouraged farmers, cooperatives, landowners, and people’s organizations to become partner growers, offering discounted cacao seedlings, farm management support, and a guaranteed buyer for harvested cacao beans.

Bohol Chocolate Farm founder Rosario Amores-Hudson said the long-term expansion program could produce about 800 metric tons of fermented, dry cacao beans annually at full bearing capacity.

She said this would reduce Bohol’s dependence on cacao beans sourced from outside the province and strengthen the local chocolate value chain.

“Today is the sweetest day of the year, but it is also a day of great purpose. When we think of chocolate, we think of happiness. But true appreciation begins when we understand where that happiness comes from,” Amores-Hudson said.

As part of the celebration, Bohol Chocolate Farm and the JCI Chocolate Hills Jaycees held a chocolate-awareness activity for 30 children from Barangay Canmano, joined by their parents and guardians.

The activity featured a cacao-themed coloring session and an introduction to growing cacao trees, processing of cacao beans, and chocolate-making.

The celebration closed with a call for partnership among farmers, landowners, cooperatives, local governments, civic organizations, and private-sector stakeholders to build the Boholano cacao industry. (ECB/PIA-7 Bohol)

Bohol Chocolate Farm and the JCI Chocolate Hills Jaycees launch the Seed to Bean Project during the World Chocolate Day celebration on July 7. The project includes the donation of 1,000 cacao seedlings to the Nueva Vida Sur Women’s Association in Carmen town to support community-based cacao farming and women’s livelihood. (Bohol Chocolate Farm photo)