The Good, The Pod and the Borer

Cocoa Pod Borer, “the” ultimate pest directly affecting cacao yield.

Were your cacao farms being planted with the correct cacao CPB-tolerant variety with good high yield? Or ever ask why other farmers’ cacao-trees seem to be non-stop producing yet not damaged by pest & disease (CPB, helopeltis, fungus, etc) yet mine seems to flower only during the season but flowering and fruiting take a “break” or even totally “no pods seen” on the trees?

Hmmmm…. did we start our farms with the basics of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), or did we go the adventurous (yet could be “mahal” / hefty price) ways and live years with the type of cacao variety (for the next 20-25years) to prove its worth….. decisions, decisions, decisions…

 

BAL209: Studies on Commercial Cacao Plantation with improved Yield and Clonal Varieties

From the Planter’s Yesteryear’s Files FYI:

Research & studies of commercial cacao plantation on improving yield and upgrading clonal varieties with presentations to professional planters for scrutiny and most importantly field verification based on years of actual field trials results… BAL209 is one of the results of this trials results which give benefit to all cacao growers. ** Pardon the font guys, see we can’t do much with the typewriter’s those years way back (yep, way, way, way back that is)

 

Specialized Market Needs: Fermentation Techniques for Post-Harvesting Process

Planter’s Yesteryear’s References FYI:

Fermentation Techniques developed by commercial plantation for post-harvesting process focusing to specialized market requirements. References which can be learned and / or adapted to get high-quality FCDBs to process big volume cacao wet beans collected from cacao farmers’ clusters into a centralized post-harvesting facility, reducing cost and improving efficiency to provide competitive quality FCDBs into both local and export markets

improper manuring program can result in reduced yield due to high wilting rate of cherelles and smaller pod size, hence small bean size and low yield. Improper manuring program can result in reduced yield due to high wilting rate of cherelles and smaller pod size, hence small bean size and low yield.  With the present low prices for cocoa beans, it is even more important that one should closely every stage along the line from planting to processing to maximise the recovery, ie minimum wastage and at the same time to produce beans of high quality

harvesting interval 7-10 days or 3-4 rounds a month…

five days fermentation with one turn on the third day….procedure recommended by buyers.

moisture of beans just before shipment should not exceed 7.5%

recovery of DFCB at 110/100gm beans is 90%.