DA, PCA Looking at Central Visayas as Source of Planting Materials for Coconut Intercrops

The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) are eyeing Central Visayas as a new source of cacao and coffee planting materials for coconut intercrops.  John Dennis Ranario, senior science research specialist at the PCA-Central Visayas said, cacao and coffee are compatible crops that can grow in proximity with the coconut trees in the same field.
Ranario, who is also working as the regional focal person of High-Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) under the Coconut Farmers Industry Development Project (CFIDP), said the Coconut-Based Coffee and/or Cacao Enterprise Development Project (C3EDP), intercropping of coconut side-by-side with coffee and cacao, is now a priority.  PCA and DA see coffee and cacao harvest as a potential source of new income for coconut farmers, he added. Cacao is a leading raw material for chocolate-based products and coffee is a top beverage with good demand.
Having a nursery for cacao and coffee in Central Visayas will address the concern on procurement of planting materials, currently sourced from other regions momentarily, Ranario said. Though there are nurseries in the region, these have yet to be accredited by the Bureau of Plant Industry.Accreditation is one of the requirements for a local source to be allowed to supply the government to ensure quality of seedlings for distribution to coconut farmers.